


Stars We Steal From the Night Sky

by Marblegiraffe



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Childhood Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, Fairy Tale Retellings, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-01-25 17:22:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 32,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18579079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marblegiraffe/pseuds/Marblegiraffe
Summary: Sometimes Yuuri looks out the open window of their cabin and feels a longing he can’t put the name to. He thinks Phichit might feel it too, in the landscapes he draws with a narrowed brow. On particularly vulnerable nights, Yuuri has to hold back his urge to smooth that sweet brow with his fingers, pull him closer.Minako tells him Phichit feels that too, but Yuuri doesn’t want to hope. Just in case.--Yuuri has always been in love with Phichit. If taking his place in this Beast’s dungeon is the only way to set him free, he won’t dare hesitate.Phichit made one single mistake and now he might’ve lost the love of his life for good. He won’t – can’t – stop searching for Yuuri.The castle has stood empty and isolated for nearly a decade now. If Victor does not break the curse now, the isolation might kill him first.





	1. Prologue / Curling Parchment and Pressed Flowers

Once upon a time, a small kingdom blessed by magic bloomed and thrived. Tucked between larger nations and surrounded by mountains, its forests were known for their beauty and its Capital known for riches both material and unseen. Immigrants from all the world over flocked to the kingdom’s tiny villages and a wise King ruled justly over the land.

As the King grew older, he fretted more and more after the fate of his heir. His elder grandson the Crown Prince was known for his beauty and wit. He charmed all the kingdom with his smile, just as his late mother had a decade before. Yet, though the Prince completed all his duties and lessons, he hid himself away in parties and glamor as his title befitted. Servants whispered that he showed little kindness, flitting from one glimmering object to the next without a backwards glance at the wreckage left behind.

Just before the Prince’s seventeenth birthday, the King sent him away from the Capital to their far distant castle in the north forests. Perhaps, the King thought, away from the gleam of riches and parties, simpering nobles and finery, the Prince would learn to look past his selfish desires.

Still the Prince only continued in his ways. He invited his closest ambassadors and nobles to join in lush banquets and charged his servants to complete his every whim. Deep in the darkest hallways of the castle, surrounding a blue rose garden once blessed by kind magic, whispers of his selfish nature grew.

On the night of the Prince’s birthday he held a grand masque ball. No one could look away from the Prince with his long silver hair and poised countenance even as he tossed partners aside at a moment’s boredom. As music swelled, his servants descended upon the guests with rich drinks and food, and all complimented the Prince for his grandeur.

Perhaps, for a moment, the Prince could pretend to be truly happy.

Without warning, at the very height of the ball the grand doors to the ballroom slammed open. The band’s music clattered to a stop, and the Prince turned from his dancing with a displeased frown.

“Who interrupts my celebration?” He calls, beautiful men and women parting before him as they gaze curiously towards the doors. At the sight of a haggard young woman, a commoner in ragged clothes and shaking frame with only a hood to cover her face, cruel laughter filled the ballroom.

This wretch dared enter the castle and stand before their lovely Prince? 

But laughter turned to screams when the commoner pulled her hood back, revealing her diseased skin and tearful eyes. Nobles pulled away to the very edges of the ballroom, calling for someone, anyone to shove the wretch out into the cold.

Eyes wide, the Prince stepped forward.

“What is the meaning of this?” He demanded, calling for calm. Yet the woman only fell to her knees and raised her hands in a clasped plea. 

“Please, I only ask for a dance from the Crown Prince! Just grant me this small kindness to a poor dying woman and I shall leave happily!”

The Prince sneered in disgust at the woman as his nobles laughed at her foolishness. Yet before he could speak to send her away, the woman raised a gift with trembling fingers.

The Prince could not help but hesitate, eyes widening in true pleasure. For the commoner held a crown of blue roses, woven together in a perfect circle by their stems. In the low candlelight, they glimmered as brilliantly as the blue roses of the Royal family’s garden, fit for the head of royalty. 

“Just one dance, and I will give you this in return.” The woman’s fingers were pricked by thorns and yet her hands only accentuated the beauty of the roses. Raising his head from the sight, the Prince sneered once more with childish anger.

“I refuse you the dance, but the crown is payment enough for trespassing on my ball. Guards!”

And with a rough motion he took the crown for himself, all his nobles watching with approval. As his guards moved to throw the woman back out into the cold, she laughed. The Prince would not remember her words until far later, but she knew they would haunt him for years to come.

“So I have seen your heart fair Prince, and know that it is vile.”

The moment the Prince touched the crown he greedily placed it atop his head. The blue roses burned like a brand over his skull, and when he screamed all the beauty of his form melted away into a twisted, misshapen form.

In a flash of brilliant light, the woman wracked by disease melted away as well. She arose in shining beauty more striking than any human, but her eyes were cold and decided. The nobles and guests of the grand ball fled without a glance back, knowing well the sight of magic.

And left alone only with his servants, the Crown Prince found the crown would not leave his head. Raising her head, the witch gave her sentence without emotion.

“I curse you foul prince. Now your form matches your heart in vile nature, and all who meet you will fear your very sight. All of yours will be unrecognizable to any outside this wretched place. All who worshipped you forget your name and winter will rule over your domain with its icy grip.”

Shaking, fearful of his own form and the visions of his servants and castle transforming horrifically, hideously, the Prince pleaded for mercy. But his words were empty and shallow, meant purely to save himself from his earned fate.

The witch’s expression twisted with bitter disgust.

“Until you learn to love another unselfishly, until they can look upon you with such love in return, you shall be cursed. Know that your woes were birthed purely from your wicked mind.”

And the witch vanished.

Darkness fell over the castle. Unending winter reigned and hungry wolves prowled the edges of the estate beside a barrier that none within the castle could cross. Maddened by this tragedy, the Prince became enraged. There was no longer any beauty to capture his attention, nothing to distract him from his suffering. Even his servants could not help him, disfigured as they were by the witch’s curse.

Years passed, and the Prince felt them keenly. The witch’s words echoed again and again in his mind, but as time passed his hope grew fainter.

For who could ever love a beast?  

\--

Deep within the little kingdom in the tiny village of Soigneux, autumn holds on desperately to its last breath.

Red and yellow leaves litter cobblestone walkways and leaning roofs, bright bursts of color against dark stone and wood. With the rising of the sun, the dark forests surrounding the village seem kinder, tree branches waving playfully over rushing river waters tracing north.

At night in the dark tavern old crones and drunken travelers whisper of ghosts flitting through pitch trees, of howling wolves and dark magic. But in the dim sunlight of autumn’s close with plenty of work to be done there’s no time to fear superstitious stories.

First come the bakers, eager to knead their fresh morning bread. They pass the little farms on their way to the square where groggy boys and girls scatter feed to clucking hens. As morning dawns brighter, shopkeepers bustle about, rushing to open doors and hawk their goods. By the time the sun rises up above the trees, Soigneux’s square bustles with movement

“Five coins for a basket of eggs! A bargain, a bargain I say!”

“Herbs, still damp from the morning mist! Green and sprightly for your best cooking and ointments!”

“A cluster of blossoms for me, ma’am, if you’d be so kind?”

“I’ll be damned if I’ll pay a cent more for such shoddy looking fowl, you cod!”

Standing at the window of her little bookshop, Minako Okukawa rolls her eyes at the familiar argument echoing across the square.

“You’d think they’d agree on a price by now.” She murmurs gently as she finishes wiping down the front glass of her cozy shop. With a hum Minako throws her rag towards the back of the shop and settles behind her place at the front counter. For a moment she gazes as the shelves of books surrounding her: tomes old and new, stretching all the way behind her.

At least two or three hundred, no finer collection north of the Capital if she says so herself. And she has, in fact, seen her competition. Relishing the morning quiet and the company of her books, Minako smiles.

But, oh. Her front door bell rings with a chime and cold air rushes in to flutter her hair. It seems someone has decided to make a stop before classes.

“Good day, Ms. Okukawa,” Little Camille says, eyes big and school uniform neatly pressed. “I’ve come to browse your shelves before I must go to my classes.” She leans up over the counter to gaze at the higher shelves, smile innocent.

“Oh? Does your mother know you’re here to spend your allowance on books?” Minako can’t help but tease. It’s difficult not to adore Camille’s enthusiasm, but her mother had been mortified to learn that a fortnight ago her child had managed to weasel a free book from her soft hearted employee.

“I am allowed if I exchange coins for books like a proper lady,” Camille says simply, raising her head with no shame. Laughing, Minako gestures for her to pick a book, not very surprised when the child grabs a book on botany and pays with a gleam in her eye.

“Is it true you lived in the Capital, Ms. Okukawa?” Camille asks quickly.

“For a time, yes,” Minako answers with a teasing smile, placing each coin into the safe box. This isn’t the first time Camille has asked about her exploits and she doubts it to be the last. “But if I may be honest, I admit I’ve a preference for the Capital of the West Kingdom.”

“You’ve been to the West Kingdom?” Camille throws herself against the counter, hopping up on her toes. Laughing, Minako leans forward to keep her from falling over the other end just as the front bell rings once more.

“Camille! Have you moved on from bribing to attacking the shopkeepers for your books?”

Cutting off into giggles, Camille sets herself to rights as Phichit Chulanont walks into the store with his usual grin. He raises his hands menacingly, a play at anger that makes her shriek with laughter.

“I’ve no time to play, Mr. Chulanont!” She calls, racing past him with her book. And sure enough, there’s the ringing of the school bell from the square. “I bid you a good day, Ms. Okukawa! Even to you, silly sir!”

Phichit gasps, affronted but the child is already joining a flock of uniformed young girls and boys racing towards the school, all ready for a day of lessons after their early morning chores.

Minako rolls her eyes at their antics, reaching down to grab a rag and begin wiping down her counter.

“Perhaps I should make a rule about no horseplay near the books.” She murmurs, with no bite. Phichit laughs and Minako cannot help but take a moment and really look at him.

A fond gleam in his brown eyes, Phichit’s hands sit perched over the waist of his soiled work clothes, right above a spacious pouch strapped to his side Minako knows for a fact he made himself. It’s hard not to be reminded of a time not too long ago when he was a child just like that girl; small and mischievous with a laugh like spring.

God, Minako feels old.

“Aren’t you supposed working on Celestino’s wagon today?” She asks airily to distract herself from those unfortunate thoughts.

Phichit Chulanont gives her a cheeky wink and settles an arm to rest on the counter, dirtying her wood with his mud. Minako smacks his skin with the rag, and he yelps, looking chastised enough for something he’d done a thousand times. Still, he doesn’t look too upset as his eyes linger over the back shelves of the bookstore searchingly.

“Celestino only needed the wheel replaced,” he says distractedly. “I’ve done my morning work, I say! I think I’ve earned a break . . . Is Yuuri here?”

Oh, the fool. Phichit purposely avoids her glance to gaze out the front door of the shop, as though Yuuri might appear any moment. Smirking, Minako returns to wiping down her counter with a hum.

“I sent him to Schoolmaster Karpisek an hour ago to deliver his order of textbooks. No doubt they’re arguing the politics of trade still. Did you not give him a farewell kiss before greeting the day?”

Phichit sputters in a satisfying way, eyes wide. “I - I never! I would  _ never _ dare do such a thing to my  _ best friend _ !”

“Oh,  _ certainly _ ,” Minako mocks, “for only the  _ best _ of friends cohabitate and act as though they’ll perish without spending every hour together. Won’t you spare us all and wed the boy already for God’s sake?”

Phichit blushes at the very thought, but Minako refuses to let him bluster any further. “Surely you’ve thought of some way to propose?”

“I…” Phichit swallows roughly, glancing away. Then he carefully sorts through the pouch at his side. Minako watches curiously as he pulls out fine parchment paper.

It looks elegant enough to have been worth more than a few fixed wagon wheels. In a frame of hardwood, stained carefully, blue roses sit pressed in a ring flushed and obvious in intent.

“I do have a plan.” Phichit fidgets uncertainly under her judging eyes. “I hope to sketch Vicchan in the middle here. And - and then I’ve been talking to Martine at the corner, see if he’d be able to work me a sheet of glass for the frame once I’m finished. You know how Yuuri  _ adores _ blue roses, and it’s been a year since Vicchan . . . well.” Pausing, he bites his lip before carefully putting the paper away.

Minako nods gently as he places the print back in his bag. Of course Yuuri would love it, soft hearted as he is. Still, Phichit doesn’t seem to see her encouragement with the shaky way he sighs.

“But I leave tomorrow for the fair in Beaussonne! I’ll see that by next week I’ll have it finished for a proper proposal. Hopefully I’ll have a first place prize to go with it, show that I’m a capable man and all-”

Phichit startles out of his thoughts when Minako leans over the counter and clasps him on the shoulder.

“Silly boy,” she smiles, “you shouldn’t fuss over that. If he doesn’t love you without a prize then he’s more of a fool than I thought. But . . . if you insist, keep your proposal for another day. He’s a patient young man, especially if he’s waited this long for you.”

Smiling gratefully, Phichit nods just as the front door chimes once more.

“Sensei, I apologize for the wait—Oh, Phichit!” Yuuri flusters halfway between a blush and a smile in his surprise. Minako manages to keep a plain expression, even when Phichit snorts into his hand. 

Yuuri bumps his hip as he passes with a purposeful glance before waving a book with a shrug.

“We’ve one history text left, since Karpisek apparently had no need for it.”

Minako groans as she grabs the extra book from his hands. “The man asked for thirty, and I gave him thirty! Every school season he practically  _ flings _ my coins in the sea with his overestimations-!”

As she heads to the back of her store, complaining all the way, Yuuri settles himself at his usual perch behind the counter. Phichit leans forward and he tilts his head to slide closer and listen to his hushed words.

“I was thinking of whipping up a batch of Mrs. Leroy’s chicken stew tonight.”

Yuuri beams, turning and nearly bumping against his friend. “I love her stew! How did you manage to get the recipe?”

“Only with my charms, of course.” Phichit winks, only to flush when Yuuri raises an eyebrow. “And . . . perhaps because I built her a new coop for the hens.”

“Fair enough payment.” Without a thought, Yuuri reaches forward to smooth a crease in Phichit’s collar, fingertips lingering. Then, as if remembering himself, Yuuri pulls away.

“You should make enough for your trip as well. I might be home later than usual, we’ll be sorting for hours after last night’s delivery.” Yuuri says sheepishly.

But Phichit only smiles brightly, reaching up to press against his collar to chase that phantom touch.

“Everything will be ready when you come home to me,” Phichit answers. For a moment, the two gaze at each other with soft smiles, alone in their own world.

With a slam, Minako drops a pile of books on the counter next to them with a wicked look. The morning lull won’t last forever and there  _ is _ work to be done.

“Stop distracting my employee, Chulanont. Shoo!”

Yuuri jolts away and straightens, adjusting his glasses with a shy smile. Laughing, Phichit salutes Minako playfully, rushing towards the door at her responding scowl.

“I’ll see you tonight, Yuuri!”

Yuuri waves as the door closes with a slam. For a moment he watches as Phichit races across the square, likely to look in and see if the carpenter or any wandering travelers need some work. Then, he sighs and leans against the counter so heavily he almost knocks over Minako’s pile of books.

He turns to apologize, only to blush as his employer’s pointed look.

“So,” she says, arms crossed. “When exactly are you going to wed that silly boy?”

“ _ Sensei _ !” Yuuri waves his hands in shock, face as red as flames. “I-I’d  _ never _ , to my  _ best friend- _ !”

Minako’s answering laughs are so loud, a few passerby in the cold outside glance around the square in confusion. But there is far too much to do before the snows come, too much brightness and chill for any to pay it any mind. Autumn is ending and winter, for once, feels more like a new beginning than an ending.

\--

Things grow quiet in Soigneux once the sun sets. A harsh wind whistles through the trees and all the animals that had hidden away at the sun prowl a little too close to the village for comfort.

Only the tavern and inns remain lit at this hour, voices inside calling out in drunken song and dance. Yuuri smiles gently as he walks past them, coat closed tight against the cold and his boots soft against cobblestone. Dreamily, he glances up at the moon and stars warm above.

Minako never likes it when he walks back alone, when she sees any of the children out late close to the forest. “Be safe.” She says, eyes dark as though wolves might spring out of the shadows. Yuuri had never thought her overly superstitious, but her gaze is always suspicious towards the darkness of the northern trees. 

She’d been less worried when Vicchan had been alive to accompany him and Yuuri can’t help but tug his coat closer at the thought. In his more morbid moments, Yuuri imagines the poodle beside him as he walks through the darkness, a ghost nipping at his heels.

He doesn’t like to speak his dreamy thoughts aloud for fear of upsetting Phichit. But it’s enough to provide a little comfort.

Yuuri steps across the cobblestone bridge, water rushing below. Farmhouses twinkle on the edge of his awareness, dark shadows against the riverbanks far away from the trees. Still, he walks. Clouds of breath rise up towards the stars as Yuuri smiles. 

Tucked away into the trees, their little cabin shines with firelight. It’s the last little cottage of Soigneux but it feels the warmest, especially when he catches sight of Phichit’s shadow through the window.

Yuuri hops up the steps, opens and closes the door quickly, locking it tight with a shiver.

“Too cold, too cold-!“ Yuuri whines as his glasses fog up from the heat. Warmth begins to seep in from the fireplace as he breathes against his fingers, rubs his shoulders dramatically.

“It hasn’t even snowed yet!” Phichit glances up from the dining table, leaning over bowls of steaming stew. Yuuri’s fingers stutter against his lips for only a moment - as much as his heart wants to skip a beat, he has lived with his friend far too long to betray himself in such a way. Instead, he laughs.

“I know, it’s horrible!” Yuuri toes off his boots and sets them to the side, hangs his coat and scarf up on a hook Phichit had hammered in a few months ago. Paintings and sketches hang around their cozy living room, books filling one long shelf over the back wall with a groaning weight. It’s small but cozy, and Yuuri’s heart fills with a soft warmth at the sight.

“I made two batches, so I think there’s enough for both of us to keep for the week.” Phichit smiles sheepishly as he tilts his head towards the full pot over the fire. 

Yuuri tries not to gape at the amount of food, biting his lip to hold back a snarky comment. He barely lasts the few steps from the door to their creaking table. 

“With that amount, you might as well leave tonight and head to Lausau first – my family could probably use a break from cooking.” Teasing, Yuuri sits across from Phichit at the table and feels his heart settle, just a little, at the offended noise his friend makes. Pursing his lips, Phichit raises an eyebrow and only gestures towards the food.

“I can make  _ and _ take away as I please-”

“Alright, alright!” Yuuri almost snorts into his stew, pulling the bowl away before Phichit can even think to take it. Laughing, his friend settles back into his seat and begins to eat.

For a soft moment it’s silent except for the crackling of the fire and the clinking of their spoons. Humming, Yuuri pauses as a wind whips against their windows, rattling up over the roof.

“You  _ will  _ be safe this week?” Yuuri glances up, eyes lingering over the warmth in Phichit’s cheeks, the light in his smile. He always has to ask, even if he expects Phichit’s quick nod.

“Of course. I’m going to win first prize remember? I really think they’re gonna love my automatic wood chopper this time!” Phichit doesn’t quite meet his gaze, cheeks turning a dark red. Yuuri manages to hide his smirk into his spoon.

He hadn’t been at the fair last year, but apparently Phichit’s contraption had won an award for “Most Terrifying.” Not quite first place, but Yuuri had still hung up the ribbon after he’d stopped laughing.

But this summer the backyard had been practically filled with odds and ends, wood pieces and metal gears. Seeing Phichit blush now, Yuuri can’t help but soften his smile.

“Well, I for one think your hard work will pay off.”

Phichit sends him a sudden breathless smile and Yuuri glances away, quickly changing the subject with only a slight shake in his voice. 

The harsh autumn wind blows harder outside as they fall into easy conversation, trading smiles and laughter over warm food. Time seems to pass quickly, the clock on the wall chiming nine and then ten as they clean dishes and set aside food for their pantry and Phichit’s trip. Soon enough they settle on their sofa, Yuuri pulling out a novel to reread and Phichit flipping through his sketchbook.

The clock ticks endlessly, endlessly closer to the morning. Yuuri stares at his book, trying to comprehend the words on the cover even as the ticks press against his mind. One week of separation isn’t very long, but somehow it feels like an eternity.

Sighing, Yuuri presses his fingers against crisp paper.

“Phichit?”

“Hmm?” His friend glances up like a guilty man, charcoal stained fingers stilling over a page. When Yuuri’s eyes flick down curiously he sees his own face reflected on the paper, messily drawn with soft cheeks and all.

Groaning, Yuuri yanks up his book to hide his face and slides further down on the sofa in embarrassment.

“You’re going to need to start  _ paying _ me at this rate, Chulanont!”

Quickly Phichit turns the page, lips twitching. He doesn’t quite meet Yuuri’s eyes as he switches to touching up an old sketch of Soigneux’s windy paths.

“You’re a very convenient model-”

“How many years have you said that?” Yuuri says, slowly lowering his book. At this, Phichit only shrugs and presses his head against the side of their sofa. When their eyes meet, Yuuri can’t help but glance away.

He’ll never understand why Phichit sees art in him. Ordinary, too bookish, aloof, body more soft than considered ideally attractive-

Yuuri pauses, draws in a breath, and forces those thoughts away. He can recite Phichit’s rebuttals to them in his sleep and doesn’t really want to hear them again now. 

Outside, a wolf howls in the distance. Fingers tapping against the dog-eared spine of his novel, Yuuri stares into the flames.

“Are you happy here?” The words fall from Yuuri’s lips without conscious thought. When Phichit looks up at him again, dark skin glowing in the light and eyes curious, he wishes he could gather them back up into his head.

But Phichit doesn’t scoff, doesn’t even question him. Instead, he tilts his head thoughtfully.

“I like the work, and the people. Travelers come here often enough, it reminds me of sneaking around the Katsuki Inn looking for stories.” Phichit relaxes when Yuuri smiles fondly. Carefully, he continues.

“It’s nice to have Minako here, and I can understand why she decided to settle in Soigneux. But we always did want to travel more, didn’t we?”

Yuuri lets out a breath and nods. Unable to help himself, he reaches out to take Phichit’s unstained hand and curls their fingers together, just like they did as children.

“Yes! I don’t  _ dislike _ it here. I love our cabin, and the bookshop, and helping the children learn to read. Everyone is so kind. I suppose a part of me is just afraid of settling in a place sooner than I’d like. There’s still so much I want to see of the world.”

Realizing he’s rambling, Yuuri closes his mouth pointedly and squeezes Phichit’s fingers. Huffing out a laugh, Phichit grips his hand tighter in response, sitting up more on the sofa.

“I do too! I know we’ve talked about it for years but – after the fair, let’s talk to Minako, see what advice she has. Our cabin will always be here for us if we decide to settle.” Phichit pauses, closing his mouth as though trying to stop himself from saying more. 

But Yuuri is so excited, he doesn’t even notice.

“Yes! Yes.” He grins, heart rising in his throat. There’s so much more he wants to say, but the hour is late and they have so little time.

The clock chimes eleven as their hands separate after a moment’s hesitation. Legs still pressed together, Yuuri opens his book and settles. He pretends not to see Phichit flip back a page in his sketchbook and glance up at him through his eyelashes. 

It’s nearly midnight when Yuuri glances up from his book and realizes Phichit is asleep across from him on the sofa.

“Oh.” Expression softening, Yuuri gently closes his book and sets it aside. Silently, he checks the curtains and the door, puts out the fire and leaves only the candle on the dining table lit. With a careful movement, he closes Phichit’s sketchbook and sets it to the side before finally glancing at his friend.

Phichit’s dark hair falls across his forehead in sleep. He looks exhausted, and Yuuri hesitates before tracing fingers through his soft hair. With a guilty smile, he presses a kiss to Phichit’s forehead and tries not to long for more.

“Yuuri?”

The breath halts in Yuuri’s lungs. He leans back slowly, his expression unchanging as Phichit opens his eyes blearily. Heart leaping up into his throat, Yuuri stares

“I-I’m heading to bed. You need to be up at the first bell, right?” Yuuri carefully pulls his fingers away. But before he can stand, Phichit reaches out to grab them again, something unreadable in his expression.

“Yes. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine – you sleep in, it’s your rest day.”

“Phichit, I-“ Yuuri swallows roughly and glances away. The candlelight glimmering in his dear friend’s eyes is almost too much for his heart. Always in their childhood, all Phichit had to do was plead with his eyes and Yuuri would follow him into any scheme or mischief. 

But then again, Phichit had always been willing to do the same for him.

“I wish you all the best of luck. You’re going to do wonderfully this week.” Yuuri finally says. Letting out a breath, Phichit smiles and sleepily reaches for help to stand.

Together they walk down the hall to their rooms. Phichit glances at Yuuri one last time, squeezes his fingers, and shuts the door to his room with a click.

Yuuri lets out a soft sigh and does the same, his heart beating hard in his throat.  

\--

“Never travel through the forests alone.” Travelers whisper, passing along advice remembered from their distant youth. “You never know what might stalk through those trees.”

At ten, Phichit sits next to Yuuri by the fire and listens carefully to their words. By fifteen he scoffs at superstition, hands buried in practical mechanics and studies of anatomy to improve his sketches. Magic is a lovely story and he’ll gladly read Yuuri’s novels for days on end – but it is nothing more than a dream.

So the next morning when Phichit slips away from Soigneux with a borrowed horse and cart, he doesn’t waste time to worry about ghosts or witches. Knives in his pockets and flint for a fire are enough to ward off any beast the forest throws at him. Phichit checks on them in his pack one last time.

He checks again a few moments later for his framed flowers, fingers careful against the glass and paper. Only then does Phichit settle his heart and set off for the north.

It’s only mid afternoon by the time Phichit pauses on the road, but darkness has settled over the forest. Dark storm clouds in the distance promise rain, and when Phichit glances off above the trees he can see snow cascading in waves down the northern mountains.

For a time the faded path had weaved in and out of the bare trees. Down in Soigneux, only miles away, it had not yet snowed but here Phichit can see little patches of slush and frost beneath trees. By the time he returns in a week, perhaps winter will have begun in earnest.

Phichit shivers as he glances up again at the harsh weather. With his uncovered cart, he really should hurry along to Beaussonne . . . But at a fork in the road, Phichit hesitates and pulls hard at the reins.

Felipe whinnies, loud and annoyed at the unexpected interruption.

“Oh hush, we’ll be there soon enough.” Phichit murmurs, reaching up to pat his head. But Felipe only shakes his head, hooves stepping restlessly as he glances between the two paths.

Following his gaze, Phichit glances back up with a frown.

It’s not possible for him to be  _ lost _ . That would be ridiculous! Phichit could already hear his father lecturing him on the route to the fair in his childhood, guiding him to take over the reins of their little cart when he was barely older than ten.

Years later, when he and Yuuri had first moved to Soigneux, his old friend had asked him why he wasn’t going to a take a map to Beaussonne.  _ “What if you get lost? It’s dangerous in the forest!”  _ He’d said, staring over steaming pork and egg the night before his departure.

In mock offense, Phichit had dramatically thrust his head back, arm over his eyes and spoon nearly flying from his fingers.  _ “You know me so little Yuuri? You might as well ask if I can find the front door!” _

Flushing, Yuuri had rolled his eyes and hidden his smile into another bite of food. Afterwards he never asked Phichit about a map again.

The memory makes Phichit relax, remembering the pressed flowers tucked carefully into his pack. Still, it doesn’t lessen his confusion at this strange fork in the road where none should be.

Carefully he glances between the paths, looking for a sign. Both are evenly worn into the ground, though more overgrowth lines the edge of the left path. Yet, it curves north closer to the border. In contrast, the right path dips further east, almost heading south towards the distance.

Above, birds dip and revel in their song. Phichit eyes the sun through the clouds and glances again at the paths with a critical eye. Then with a nod he straightens.

“Come on Felipe, only an hour more.” Phichit says cheerfully. Felipe huffs but follows as Phichit pulls the reins towards the left path without a backwards glance.

High above, the birdsong falters with a clap of distant thunder.

\--

Minako tightly closes the door to the bookshop every time someone leaves it carelessly open, leaving her coat on even as she takes note of her stock. Over the counter Yuuri spends his week breathing warmth into his fingers and glancing out worriedly at the worsening weather. 

The first snows will fall any day now, far earlier than usual. The whole village begins to settle into it with hesitant acceptance. 

With a sigh, Minako glances out the window as well with ease taken from long experience. Little has changed in a week’s time in Soigneux and even less will change over the coming months. Winter’s storms will keep most travelers and merchants settled where they are and children will be warned away from playing too far. 

At least with the changing of the season, more might go searching for distractions in her shelves.

The afternoon Phichit is supposed to return from the fair, Minako emerges from the back shelves with her fingers stained with ink and hair falling out of her bun. Already finished with giving lessons to curious children for the day, Yuuri seems lost in his own world. His brow furrows as he glances out towards the town square longingly. 

It’s difficult for Minako not to smile at the poor boy’s worry. 

“I’m certain he’ll be back by nightfall.” She says, leaning against the counter next to him. 

Yuuri blinks owlishly behind his spectacles before turning.

“What did you say?”

The boy is horrible at lying to Minako, a telltale blush painting his cheeks and his shoulders bunching up towards his ears. Even as a child up to mischief she’d always been the only one able to crack his innocent masque. Still Minako plays along with it, frowning very seriously.

“Your dear Phichit will be back by sunset, so stop worrying. You act like you’ve never been separate before!”

Huffing, Yuuri rolls his eyes and raises his book to hide his flustered expression. Snickering under her breath, Minako leans over his shoulder and smiles at the worn story.

“You really miss him if you’re reading fairy tales. Takes me back to your childhood.” She says it fondly, even though she can’t help but add a note of humor.

For once, Yuuri doesn’t deign to reply to her teasing. There’s a thoughtful look on his face, something hesitant and honest beneath the fluster and denial. Adjusting his glasses, Yuuri glances up and sets the book down firmly. 

Minako can’t help but blink in surprise at the expression on his face, all nervous energy and determination.

“Do you really think I should propose to him? When he comes back?”

_ Oh, you fools. _ Minako wants to laugh, wishes she could ride down to their families and get them as witnesses to her struggle. 

“I thought you were worried about ruining your friendship? What’s changed your mind?” She asks instead, leaning forward. In her travels she’d acted plenty well, and it wasn’t hard to hide her hopeful, delighted emotions now. 

Minako plans on never letting them live it down if it all turns out.

Blushing, Yuuri shrugs and doesn’t quite meet her eyes.

“I am still afraid of that.” He confesses quietly, gazing off distantly at the square outside as though Phichit might arrive any moment and hear. “But I think I need to try at least. Minako-sensei I-“

Yuuri cuts himself off, pausing. It’s hard not to laugh when his cheeks turn bright red but Minako manages with only a cough.

“I love him so much. I can’t imagine a future without him there with me and-and even if he doesn’t return my feelings I still want him to know. If all we ever are is friends, at least I won’t have any more regrets.”

_ You don’t have any reason to worry. _ Minako wants to say, smiling gently at Yuuri’s determined speech. They’re just alike in their feelings, both so worried they aren’t enough for the other that Minako isn’t sure whether she should shake them both to their senses or just leave them be.

God, she wishes she could be a fly on their cabin wall tonight.

“I don’t really know what I want out of life. I know I want to travel and see the world but - even more than that I want Phichit there beside me still.” Yuuri finishes, glancing shyly to make sure no wayward customers wander in and overhear.  

“Then tell him. Even if he doesn’t feel the same, you know Phichit will be kind.” She adds the last sentence for plausible deniability, turning back to the bookshelves. Yuuri’s sigh carries over the shelves, as does the sharp way he turns a page in his book.

“I know.” Yuuri murmurs. Minako pauses before calling out one last comment as she enters the back room.

“Though I doubt he’ll reject you, with the way he was talking before he left!”

“Ehhhhhhh?!” The ringing of the front bell cuts off Yuuri’s yell. Minako can’t help but laugh as he begins to apologize, returning to her work with a smile. Perhaps they’ll have a spring wedding after all. 

\--

He’s really going to do it.

Yuuri lets out a shuddering breath as he stares at the flowers in his hands. Roses – not blue like his childhood dreams, but red and beautiful enough to match the light in Phichit’s lovely eyes. One of the last bouquets of the season, and Mrs. Leroy had sent him a knowing look when Yuuri had stumbled through buying them.

“Good luck.” She’d said with a wink. Yuuri couldn’t stop blushing, even as he’d smiled and nodded.

The sun was setting, a freezing wind blowing down from the northern mountains as he walks back to their cabin. When Yuuri closes his eyes he can see the candles lit, Phichit waiting at home with a week’s worth of stories and certainly a ribbon for his hard work.

“Just give him the flowers and propose!” Yuuri whispers to himself, words taken away by the wind. So easy, like in all the fairy tales of their youth, all their childhood games. Perhaps Yuuri could even press a kiss to Phichit’s lips, hold him close as he’s always dreamed-

Steeling himself, Yuuri turns down the path to their cabin. He freezes just as quickly.

The cabin is unlit, unchanged. The darkness of the forest seems even more oppressing with the fading sunlight, a full moon rising.

“Perhaps he’s returning Celestino’s horse?” Yuuri hums, stepping up to unlock the door. The old wood creaks eerily, sending a chill up his spine. He’s slow to light a few candles, fingers lingering over the wood of their kitchen table as he lengthens every movement.

Still, there is no sign of Phichit.

Yuuri sets the roses down on the table with a lurch in his heart. Anxiety rattles his brain, oppressive, and he sits down on their sofa and carefully tries to combat it.

Perhaps it had snowed up north and Phichit had been delayed. Perhaps he had slept in later and decided to come back tomorrow after celebrating his grand win. So many maybes, each with a happy ending that Yuuri tries to grasp.

Or maybe he was lost, attacked by animals, dead-

Shaking, Yuuri curses his own mind for the nightmares it spins. He glances up at the paintings above their mantle, of blue roses and landscapes and his own face, there because Phichit had insisted. One of Phichit’s rare self portraits glimmers right next to it, and Yuuri cannot help but rake his eyes over his brilliant smile, the melding of colors.

Fine. Phichit has to be fine.

Yuuri’s startled out of his thoughts by a harsh knock at the door. For a moment, he thinks of Phichit with blazing relief – but then, his dear friend wouldn’t need to knock. Glancing at the late hour on the clock, Yuuri cautiously stands and opens the door a crack.

“Hello?” Yuuri blinks, eyes attempting to adjust to the dim light. It’s the long hair that gives it away, lets him open the door wider in confusion.

“Celestino?”

The farmer crosses his arms and glances past Yuuri into the cabin. His foot taps on the step and something about the motion sets a pit of worry into Yuuri’s stomach.

Still, Celestino smiles at him with only a little worry.

“Yuuri! Is Phichit here?”

Yuuri shakes his head quickly, eyes wide. Frowning, Celestino waves his hand up the road towards the town and when Yuuri follows the motion he can’t help but grip the door tighter.

Felipe shuffles next to the tree he’d been tied, coat dirty and eyes bright. Yuuri stares wordlessly as Celestino continues with a sweeping gesture.

“I found Felipe wandering through my fields this afternoon, all alone! I don’t know how long he’d been out there, but I couldn’t believe Phichit had left him alone on purpose. Are you sure you haven’t seen him?”

Barely listening, Yuuri tries to think of something to say. But all he can think of is Phichit lost, alone, hurt, scared-

“Yuuri?” Celestino snaps his fingers in front of his face. Jolting, he glances up and nearly flinches at the concern in his eyes.

“I-I’m sorry. Could I borrow your horse?” Yuuri’s proud that his voice barely shakes, something harsh and fearful blazing in his gut. Celestino gapes, gesturing up at the moon, out at the darkness of the forest.

“It’s too late, too dangerous! Yuuri, let’s wait until morning at least, get the rest of the town-“

But already Yuuri turns to blow out the candles. Celestino stares in confusion as Yuuri grabs his coat and scarf, leaving the red roses forgotten on the table. He brushes past Celestino without even locking the door.

“Yuuri, wait!” The farmer reaches down to grasp his shoulder but Yuuri only pulls away, not looking as he hurriedly unties Felipe’s tether.

“Thank you for the horse, Celestino, I’ll bring him back soon!” Yuuri mounts with ease and sets Felipe off at a gallop before the farmer can blink. The sound of beating hooves echoes out into the forest, and Celestino curses under his breath.

“Wait!”

Yuuri doesn’t hear him, urging Felipe on with something like panic wringing around his heart as he rides north into the forest.

  
  



	2. Forest Paths and Flickering Candles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for the comments and kudos!!! I've had this idea for a long time and I'm so excited to finally be putting it out there! 
> 
> I'm trying to write and edit a couple of chapters ahead so hopefully I'll be able to update every few weeks or so. Thank you for reading!

The moon is like a platter against the backdrop of the pitch night sky, nearly full in its brilliance. Its light provides no warmth from the cold but a beauty that warms the mind, illuminates everything below with an unearthly glow. Distant stars are blotted out by its gaze, the few visible hanging in the air like sparks of embers from a flame.

It isn’t winter yet, not quite, but it may as well be. When Yuuri glances up at the stars for some sense of guidance he watches his breath cloud and stream up towards the sky. There aren’t any answers up there for him, and he cries out again despite the futility of it all.

“Phichit!”

Felipe is exhausted. Yuuri glances down, biting his lip as the horse hesitates again along their lonely path. He doesn’t know how long Felipe was wandering before he made his way home, how far Felipe ran through treacherous terrain.

Guilt strikes him, so hard he pulls on the reins and makes Felipe whinny in confusion as they finally come to a halt.

All around the forest is silent. Trees sway in the wind, curling branches nearly empty of their leaves. The lights of Beaussonne are too far to be seen, and when Yuuri turns his head back the darkness of the road yawns out past the trees.

Yuuri grips the reins tighter and ignores the way the cold bites at his bare fingers.

What is he thinking, coming out here? Alone in the dark wilderness, going against every superstition and common-sense story spoken by his elders and memorized in his heart. Phichit could be laughing in some faraway inn, warm and safe. He could be in Beaussonne haggling for a ride back to Soigneux before the snows hit. He could even be home by now!

Perhaps, Yuuri thinks, he is only risking his life on a foolhardy adventure.

A wolf howls longingly in the distance and Yuuri blinks out of his thoughts. For a moment as he gazes around the dark forest, the trees loom closer. Spirits and wild beasts could be hiding out among them, watching, waiting for a sign.

For a moment, Yuuri’s sleep deprived panic urges him to _turn Felipe around._ Find an inn to rest at, _return home._ What is the point of wandering blindly into danger? Yuuri nearly pulls on the reins again.

But then another, softer voice springs up from his gut. It’s the same voice Yuuri feels when he thinks of Phichit, and he cannot help but let it guide him now.

Because . . . Phichit  wouldn’t return late without trying to send some notice. He wouldn’t let a horse roam alone for who knew how long, not if it was his own and _never_ if borrowed.

Not unless something dire had occurred.

But then, Yuuri thinks desperately, where could Phichit be now?

The pattering of his heart pulling itself in circles pushes Yuuri to slip from Felipe’s saddle with a sort of restless energy. He settles onto the leaves and dirt, staring ahead down the weathered path as though he might see something new from this angle, some sort of clue.

A bird calls out deeper in the forest. Felipe huffs out a cloudy sigh and Yuuri draws in shuddering breath.

Minako is right - he’s only a fool.

Clenching his hands into fists down by his sides, Yuuri calls out again.

“Phichit, are you out here?!”

Not even an owl hoots to answer his plea.

“Please?”

Yuuri feels hopeless, helpless practically alone here in the middle of nothing. Felipe stands silently next to him, without complaint and Yuuri winces as he turns to take stock of his condition. The horse gazes at him with obvious fatigue and Yuuri lowers his head in shame.

“I’m so sorry. There . . . there should be an inn somewhere nearby. We’ll stop there to rest.” Yuuri steps forward to run his fingers soothingly through Felipe’s mane. A shadow falls across his eye as he turns, the chill increasing as it cuts away a sliver of the moon’s light.

Yuuri turns on worried instinct. He doesn’t remember any clouds in the sky, and if the snow comes this early-

Felipe whinnies in confusion at his gasp and trembling hands. Hearing it faintly through the sound of rushing blood filling his ears, Yuuri stares with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Rising past the trees like an eerie specter, a brilliant castle gleams underneath the starlight. The building reflects strangely in Yuuri’s eyes, as though a veil had fallen over his gaze, allowing him to see into some sort of alternate world. When he moves his head he feels dizzy at the sight of it, as though his eyes were trying to understand something that should never have been seen.

Still, whatever film covers his eyes does not hide any of the castle’s grandeur. Pristine white stone reaches up into dark roofs, shimmering tower windows and creeping vines. The glass and marble reflect like a million torches, though from this far away all Yuuri can see within them is darkness.

He’s no stranger to illustrations of castles, both fantastical and real. Yet, Yuuri knows he’s never seen one looking as grand or as subtlety eerie as this, not even the Royal family’s to the south.

For a moment Yuuri wonders if he’s stepped into a wondrous dream or one of the old fairy tales his mother would tell on stormy nights. Carefully, he creeps towards the forest separating the path from the distant castle. Over long moments, Yuuri cranes his neck and cleans his glasses -  as though they might bring some clarity to the image.

It is almost like a strange trance, the way Yuuri steps closer. Felipe whinnies in confusion but Yuuri doesn’t hear it at all, eyes scanning the castle towers. Who lives here, he wonders? A lord, a noble, a ghost?

Just under the tree line, glass shatters under his boot. It cuts through the silent forest like ice and Yuuri jolts away with a yell. The shock is enough to cut through his daze, and for a moment Yuuri clutches his heart through his chest and catches his breath with trembling fingers. Then, slowly, he stares up at the castle once more and forces his thoughts closer to the ground.  

The Royal Family has no northern estates, not a single one. No nobles or lords keep their homes this far north either. Even in the centuries before their kingdom’s founding, Yuuri knows that this forest remained undisturbed for reasons no one can quite remember.

So, there cannot be a castle like this here - unless he’s gotten very lost without realizing. Yet, Yuuri knows very well the paths he had taken in searching for Phichit. Even if he had wandered farther than expected, none of those paths cross the border without passing through a village first.

So whose castle was this? How had it come to be here, on land Yuuri had passed often enough throughout the years without a single glimpse of construction? Those stone walls in the distance provide no answers, and Yuuri isn’t sure he wants to explore any further.

As if agreeing with his thoughts, Felipe stomps his hooves restlessly back on the path. Letting out a soft sigh, Yuuri takes a step back only to hear the clinking of broken glass once more under his foot.

“Oh. I forgot about you.” Yuuri murmurs, glancing down with a nervous laugh. “I suppose I should thank you bringing me to my senses.” The glass is cheaply made, but something about it strikes Yuuri.

Gently he kneels down in the dirt, brushing the glass away with careful fingers. There’s a burst of color underneath the leaves and soil, something drawn on a piece of paper and Yuuri sorts  through the shards with a sinking realization.

His blood freezes at the sight of Phichit’s clear linework, Vicchan gazing out like he’s come back to life there on the page in charcoal shading. Brilliant blue roses touched by Phichit’s finest paints ring the rough sketch and Yuuri clutches it close to his chest with a sudden desperate feeling.

“Oh, _Phichit_.”

Yuuri feels his love viscerally, as though it had come to life and begun trembling in his throat. Or maybe like a bird? He cannot quite tell if that sounds right or not, but it seems like it matters little now. He folds the paper carefully between his fingers and slides it into his coat pocket, safe until he can return it.

When Yuuri glances up again, still kneeling in the forest dirt, the shapes of the trees around him sharpen into stark clarity. Beneath the branches, closer towards the castle broken wood and scattered metal lie half buried under fallen leaves and twigs.

What Yuuri had taken for tree trunks or branches on first glance is instead the remnants of Phichit’s cart.

“Phichit!” Yuuri rushes forward without hesitation, searching through the torn fabric and scattered supplies. Half of it has been eaten by beasts, everything completely ruined after sitting outside in the cold. There’s no explanation here, no sign of Phichit at all – but no blood or flesh either.

Yuuri takes desperate solace in that. Perhaps Phichit had managed to walk away from his crashed cart, make it to an inn, or village, or-

Glancing up, Yuuri finds the castle once more. From the path it had seemed otherworldly, untouchable. But here within the forest, Yuuri realizes it isn’t very far away at all. Bringing his hand up to his mouth, he glances around the broken cart.

It isn’t hard to imagine. Phichit crashes, he looks up and sees that mysterious castle. If he had been accompanying his friend . . . Yuuri can already hear Phichit’s logic.

_I’m already lost. Why not explore the strange castle that shouldn’t be? I need help anyways._

Yuuri groans under his breath even as a smile pricks up his lips. Lights flicker in the castle’s windows, scarce but obviously visible. A sign of life - though whether for good and evil Yuuri is uncertain.

Phichit _must_ be there.

Yuuri can see him now, charming some fae royal or reclusive noble with ease. He can’t help but laugh as he turns, red spilling over his cheeks at the thought. There can be no hesitation any longer in Yuuri’s heart, not after what he’s found.

Hopefully, Phichit will be grateful for the kiss he bestows once they’re reunited.

“Felipe! Let’s go, I’ll make certain you’re given rest and water-“

Yuuri turns, hopping back onto the path to tug Felipe’s reins and pull him steadily towards the castle. For a moment the horse buckles, gazing up with sheer terror. But Yuuri shushes him confidently, gentle as he leads them both between the forest trees.

Still, Felipe never quite relaxes fully, even as he settles into Yuuri’s guided path.

\--

It takes far longer than Yuuri expects for the pair to reach the strange castle. The moon rises higher into the sky as they walk, slow and steady. At one moment, Yuuri and Felipe freeze in the midst of the dark trees at the sound of distant wolves howling in a chorus. But the wolves seemingly leave them be, and so they continue on.

Eventually, the dark forest trees begin to spread wider. The way turns into an honest, though faded, path and Yuuri cannot help but feel some relief as he steps onto it. The closer they come to the castle, the more stones filter in, until they find themself standing on a wide stone path just outside of the forest.

The sudden emptiness of the land leading up to the castle is almost eerie in nature. Perhaps in summer the wide lawn would be more welcoming, a sight for picnics or horse riding – but with winter near all the grass is crushed and dead.

“Hello?” Yuuri calls as they step under an open stone arch at the very end of the pathway. For a moment he pauses, glancing at the rusted wrought iron gates standing open on either side. This front courtyard is covered completely with stone, empty and cold.

If anyone stood here once, they have long left. Still, when Yuuri cranes his neck up he can see lights in the castle above, far closer.

“God, let him be safe-“ Yuuri murmurs to the empty courtyard. Felipe whinnies worriedly, nosing against the back of his head and he turns to smile in response.

“It’ll be alright, Felipe. Let’s get you some rest.”

If Yuuri had been patient walking towards the castle, it was only out of necessity. Now he rushes, tying Felipe’s reins to a post with little fanfare and rushing up the wide steps of the castle. One bare hand reaches up to knock hard on the imposing wooden door.

But then . . . he hesitates.

Yuuri blinks, hand trembling. Again, he wonders at the strangeness of it all, though no veil covers his eyes. Who or what could live here, in a place that should not be? What could be expect to meet inside this place?

A logic drawn from years of fairy tales and superstitions whispers to Yuuri that he should leave. No good can come from entering strange grand places, from losing yourself within dark forest trees. Perhaps, if he enters, he’ll need to give up something to bring Phichit back. Perhaps, Phichit might not even be inside at all.

The sketch burning in his pocket, close to his heart, pushes him forward despite those fears.

Yuuri’s knocks ring out, echoing too loudly over the stone courtyard. On the third knock, Yuuri struggles to hold in a gasp as the door jolts open under his touch. A crack of light falls into the pitch castle.

“What?” Staring in shock, Yuuri pulls away for a moment.

Then, he presses against the door with his whole weight until it falls open completely. Moonlight streams in from the sky above and when Yuuri steps inside his boots click on the white marble floor.

At first, Yuuri squints into the darkness. It’s difficult to see at first, and when he steps from marble to carpet dust springs up and gets into his eyes.

Groaning, he cleans his glasses hurriedly, calling out as he does.

“Hello? Phichit?”  

There’s no response. But when Yuuri settles his spectacles upon his face once more, he can finally _see._

Dusty paintings and furniture glimmer in a breathtaking entryway. Pillars reach up towards an impossibly high ceiling, crisscrossing with fine wood and marble into sweeping patterns high above. It reminds Yuuri of cathedrals, or the faraway temples of his parents’ youth. The carpet below is a deep red, plush if not for the layers of dust covering it.

Gazing around in wonder, Yuuri gasps when he catches sight of _gold_ accents on a nearby table. For a moment he stands still in pure fear of breaking something so obviously expensive. But all the entryway is still, and so he creeps forward towards the table with wide eyes.

He pokes at the gold flakes, fingers covered by a line of his scarf, until the dust falls away. In the moonlight the accents glimmer like stars and Yuuri finds he cannot look away, touching with his bare fingers now just to see.

Minako had told him once of pastries in the Capital, flaking with fake gold. It was a trend of sorts, to prove your wealth even if the gold is only colored chocolate glaze.

But this gold does not flake. It _gleams,_ and Yuuri feels himself overwhelmed at the realization. _God_ , his family could live for a _year_ on just this small glimpse of finery-

Something clinks further down the hall, metal and reverberating. Yuuri turns with such speed that he feels the sketch in his pocket crinkle just a little within his pocket.

“Hello?!”

Again, only silence. Still, Yuuri feels his wonder lagging at the odd interruption. He gazes again at the entryway, and realizes he’s missed a few details.

All the paintings of people have been scratched at, as though by the claws of an animal. A mirror on the far side of the entryway has been broken so completely that only the frame of it remains, all the shards missing.

Everything about this place is so vast, dark and overwhelming - and suddenly Yuuri just wants to find Phichit and go _home_.

“Please, is anyone here? I’m looking for my friend Phichit!” Yuuri steps further into the hall, pausing by the steps of a wide staircase. The marble bannisters are sculpted into gentle shapes. When Yuuri runs his fingers over them, he wonders and glances up towards the floors above.

But then, with another reverberating _crash_ , metal clangs down a stone hall leading down and away from the staircase. Before Yuuri can even move, fingers tightening over the railing, the sound of a door creaking open echoes from down that same dark hall.

For a moment, Yuuri clutches the bannister and stares into the darkness. All his instincts are screaming at him to move. He should leave, he should take Felipe and go home and wait for Phichit to return home like he surely would-!

And yet, Yuuri stays.

“Phichit, this better not be a joke! I’m not laughing!”

After a long moment, Yuuri forces himself to step forward. Slowly, his eyes adjust once more to the darkness.

Yuuri finds himself stepping down a stone hall, far more plain and yet just as foreboding as the grand entryway behind him. At the very end of the hall, lit by a single candle, an open door beckons with flickering light.

“Hello? Is someone there?” This time Yuuri whispers, placing a hand on the wooden door. It creaks under his fingers, the wood soft and close to rotting. Inside, a narrow spiral staircase descends, light by candles at odd increments. Faintly, the sound of water drip-dripping over stone drifts up towards him.

Swallowing roughly, Yuuri presses a hand to the stone and raises his head with a determined stare. “Too late to turn back now.” He mutters under his breath as he follows the staircase down, down, _down._

When Yuuri finally reaches the bottom, he feels his heart stutter in his chest. Dungeon cells spread out on either side, each lit with a candle, and each locked tightly with a barred iron door. A wicked chill permeates the stone, pools of water and wax just barely illuminated down the lonely hall.

Through a high grate on the other side, Yuuri catches a glimpse of the moon’s light. At least, he thinks, there’s some sort of comfort from that.

“Phichit? Are you here?” Yuuri says as loud as he dares. He almost hopes he doesn’t get a reply from this dark place-

“Yuuri?” _Oh God._

“Phichit!” Yuuri rushes forward to the farthest cell door on the left where the voice had come from, falling onto his knees against the rough stone. He stains the knees of his trousers with cold water but he can’t bring himself to care because _he’s found him_.

In the cell Phichit grips the bars with wide-eyed disbelief, cheeks stained with dirt. He’s wearing the same clothes as when he left, though his scarf and hat are missing and everything else stained with grime and sweat.

Yet, still! It’s him, he’s _here_ , and Yuuri grasps his fingers close through the cell bars with a breath of relief. They’re freezing and he warms them carefully between his own hands, heart pounding hard in his throat.

“Yuuri, what are you doing here? You need to leave!” Phichit says with a look of panic. And yet, he shifts closer on his knees, pressing up close against the bars as if he could somehow pass through them with thought alone and return to his side. Laughing in disbelief, Yuuri turns and cranes his neck back towards the staircase, searching for some key hanging upon the wall.

He finds nothing, and the joy in his heart lessens. Biting his lip Yuuri turns with a far more worried expression.

“I’ve just found you, I can’t leave! God, who did this to you? What happened? I found your cart-”

Phichit shakes his head desperately, almost yanking on Yuuri’s fingers to cut him off. He responds barely above a whisper, face unusually pale.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t get out of here safely! I promise I’ll be fine-“

“You can’t promise that!” Yuuri glares with all his might, voice rising.

For a moment Phichit glares right back, their hands trembling together.

Then, all the candles go out in a sudden hushed breath. The pair both tense as moonlight alone falls over their hunched figures. It feels as though a specter has fallen over them, and with sudden fear Yuuri wonders if this place is truly haunted by some horrific apparition.

As though sensing his thoughts, Phichit’s grip tightens over Yuuri’s fingers. Yuuri meets his eyes and Phichit smiles grimly.

_We’re going to be alright._

Slowly, Yuuri lets out a breath. Only then does he feel a curious gaze on his back, hear a step upon the bottom of the staircase behind him. He doesn’t dare turn around - but he watches as Phichit glances up past his shoulder with a dark anger in his eyes.

Phichit doesn’t speak. Neither does the person behind Yuuri, and for a long moment he hears only dripping water.

And - and this is foolish. If no one else who actually understands what’s occurring is going to speak, Yuuri _has_ to. Swallowing roughly, Yuuri turns his head to find the one who’s responsible for locking Phichit away like this.

It’s too dark to see clearly, but just barely he can make out a tall shadow at the foot of the stairs. Some of their clothes glimmer with finery in the moonlight, but otherwise Yuuri can make out nothing of their face, their bearing.

“Who’s there?” Yuuri calls firmly, grip tightening on Phichit’s hands.

“Perhaps I should be asking you that, seeing as you’re trespassing in my home.” A low voice replies. When Yuuri squints even further he manages to make out bright blue eyes, almost glowing now that he’s aware of them.

And then a low anger fills him. _How am I trespassing upon an unlocked castle that shouldn’t be, with my friend locked away inside_ , Yuuri wonders.

Phichit gasps his name, trying to pull him back as Yuuri stands and turns, but the cell keeps him back. Hands clenching into fists at his sides, Yuuri doesn’t allow himself any room for doubt in his heart.

“Let my friend go and I promise we won’t trespass any longer.” Yuuri raises his head, voice level. He knows he doesn’t have any sort of authority here but . . . Down the hall, the man’s shadow straightens.

“Your _friend_ stole something precious from me, after I allowed him to wander without interruption!” The figure’s hand shifts into the light as he gestures dramatically, a strange silvery glove shining in the moonlight. Heart racing, Yuuri steps closer towards him even as he feels Phichit try to tug him back by his coat.

“That isn’t an excuse to lock him up down here, with winter coming! You need to let him go!” Panic edges its way into Yuuri’s voice as the man pulls his gloved hand back into the darkness. Something is deathly wrong here, something he can’t quite understand but he feels it in his gut, in the way this man hides in the shadows.

“Yuuri!” Phichit calls warningly, grip tight on the bars now that Yuuri is out of his reach. If Yuuri turns he knows he’d see panic in his eyes, and that more than anything makes him falter.

“Who are you to tell me what to do?” The man begins to move closer, his imposing form growing even as Yuuri shakes his head with lagging bravado.

“Who are you not to-

The man steps into the moonlight.

“-listen?“ Yuuri’s voice hushes with sudden breathless terror. Oh _God_ he must be dreaming, remembering something from one of his stories, it _can’t be-_

It isn’t a man. It’s like an animal, tall and imposing but unrecognizable, a _Beast_ of some sort but Yuuri couldn’t begin to imagine which one. Its ( _His? Yuuri muses)_ fur shines a silvery color in the moonlight and a surprisingly fine suit of purples and golds covers his body as though in mimicry of royalty.

He stands like a man, but his furred hands curl with claws, his maw like a wolf’s and his height far taller than any man Yuuri had ever seen. Yuuri takes a step back at the sight of him, his eyes moving up to the Beast’s head.

Strangely enough, a rose crown made of the most beautiful blue roses gleams on his head. The flowers glisten with dew and in any other circumstance Yuuri knows he’d find them devastatingly beautiful. Yet, there’s something odd about them, something sinister that makes Yuuri stare with eyes hinging upon horror.

“ _Yuuri_.” Phichit hisses through the grate, hands clutching helplessly at the iron bars. Blinking, Yuuri swallows and his gaze moves down to the Beast’s icy blue eyes. They stare at him, something impassive and judging in their gaze. Then, the Beast raises his head with a haughty air.

“If you will not be polite, then leave. I am the master of this castle and I refuse to release your friend until I feel he’s understood the severity of his crime.” There’s a tense anger in the Beast’s jaw. Still, Yuuri can’t help but shake his head, a helpless feeling rising up in his chest.

“Please, please let him go- !“ Yuuri steps forward in his desperation, hands clasping before him and voice rising as the Beast begins to shake his head.

The roses over his brow don’t even rustle at the movement, eerily still.

“This is my _home_. Leave before I am forced you make you do so.” The Beast says, and Yuuri jolts back with wide eyes. He can’t leave Phichit alone here, he just can’t!  

“ _Don’t you dare touch him!_ ”

Yuuri turns in surprise as Phichit slams his fists against the cell door with a sharp clang, his eyes burning.

“Phichit-“ Yuuri can hear the pure fear in his friend’s voice like the panic of an inferno, but before he can even try to lessen it, Phichit continues on.

“Please, just go! I’ll be fine just please!” Phichit pleads from the cell, eyes wide as he glances between Yuuri and the Beast, who’s looking decidedly less patient with every word.

Everything is moving too fast to think clearly. Even so Yuuri tries to think of a solution. If this Beast is magic or spirit, then surely he can be reasoned with, negotiated with?

The Beast steps forward and Yuuri steps back

“What did he steal? Please, I’ll pay you back somehow, I’ll do anything!” Yuuri’s fingers clutch at his scarf, half panicked. The Beast shakes his head again and Yuuri’s heart wrenches violently up to his throat when he growls, animal-like.

“You could never pay me back-“

The cold of the dungeon cell strikes hard against his back as Yuuri tries to hide Phichit behind him. Yuuri can feel Phichit tugging at his coat through the bars but that touch feels distant, already half lost. Clawing for some solution, Yuuri closes his eyes and thinks desperately.

Only one solution comes to mind, and Yuuri says it without thinking twice.

“T-Then take me instead!”

Silence.

When Yuuri opens his eyes, the Beast stares at him with blatant shock in his eyes. There’s no anger there for the first time and Yuuri tries to take solace in that as he steps forward and meets the Beast’s eyes.

“Take me instead. Let Phichit go and I’ll take his place here for whatever he’s done.”

Phichit is silent as death behind him. Yuuri doesn’t dare turn to see his expression, already able to imagine it clearly. Instead, he watches as the Beast’s expression turns thoughtful.

“You would stay here with me, willingly?” He murmurs. Swallowing roughly, Yuuri nods with more confidence than he feels.

“Yes.”

“Yuuri, Yuuri, no!” Phichit stands, slamming his entire weight into the cell door. The reverberation makes Yuuri flinch, shoulders rising up to his ears but before he can respond in some way, reassure his dear friend (his _love_ ) the Beast leans down with beaming eyes.

“To take his place, will you promise to stay here forever?”

Yuuri covers a gasp with his hand, eyes wide. He takes in the Beast, his teeth, his claws, his finery. He imagines Phichit trapped here for the rest of his life, how his sunlight would falter, how he would never be able to travel to faraway places and make a farmer and noble alike laugh with just a story and his smile.

Phichit could never, never remain here. Yuuri wouldn’t let him.

“Yuuri please, no!” Phichit begs.

_I’m so sorry._

With that last thought, Yuuri meets the Beast’s gaze with a leveled stare.

“I promise.”

A flash of brilliance crosses the Beast’s expression, all his sharp teeth gleaming in the moonlight. In a smooth motion, he pulls a rusted key from his pocket and brushes past Yuuri without barely a backwards glance.

Yuuri falls to his knees, limbs weak with sudden sharp fear and resignation. The cell door clicks open and in an instant Phichit is there before him, clutching his shoulders with the most wretched expression.

“Take it back, Yuuri, please, it’s my fault I’m here!” Phichit says, hands trembling.

Yuuri thinks of the sketch hidden in his pocket and tries not to sob. To think, an hour ago he’d thought to finally press a kiss to Phichit’s lips. How foolish. To do so now would only be selfish.

Even so, he clutches back at Phichit just as desperately, trying to memorize him one last time.

“I’d apologize, but you know I wouldn’t mean it.” Yuuri laughs falteringly. And then Phichit presses against the crook of his neck, holding him close just like he’d always dreamed and _oh_.

The sudden realization hits that he will never get this again, never get anything of Phichit or Minako or his family ever again and Yuuri cannot stop himself from sobbing this time.

“Yuuri-“ Phichit pulls away to brush at his tears, but Yuuri shakes his head.

“Please look after my parents and sister. They love you, you’ll all be fine without me!” Yuuri falters on his own words, hands pressing against Phichit’s warmth. And then Phichit shakes his head as well, glaring now.

“Don’t say that! We all need you, Yuuri, and . . .”

A shadow falls over them, blotting out the moonlight. Yuuri glances up and meets the Beast’s gaze for a harsh moment and isn’t sure he understands the emotion he finds there.

Phichit presses a hand against his cheek to pull his attention back and Yuuri feels like Phichit’s somehow pulled the breath from his lungs. _Oh._

Very seriously, eyes welling with tears, Phichit begins.

“Yuuri, you don’t understand how much I-“

The Beast grabs Phichit roughly by the collar of his jacket and drags him back towards the staircase, as though he’s lost his patience. It’s terrifying how easily the Beast pulls him away, and Yuuri yells out despite himself.

“Don’t hurt him, please!”

“Yuuri!” Phichit struggles in his grip, so hard the Beast growls sharply down at him.

“He’s not your concern any longer.”

Phichit meets his eyes desperately and Yuuri wishes he could say something, _anything_ to comfort him. _Find happiness. Find love. Find everything we wanted to find together._

But his lips won’t move. The words all feel so fleeting now.

Phichit struggles even harder but there’s no use. With an annoyed snarl, the Beast pulls him up the staircase and away, out of sight. Phichit’s voice echoes distantly, rising in anger, but besides that Yuuri is left alone with the sounds of dripping water and the blood rushing through his ears.

Gasping for breath, Yuuri leans down to press his forehead against the cool stone. Now everything is gone, _everything_ and he will never, never have even the chance-

Breathe. Yuuri thinks of his mother’s gentle words, cautioning him to take everything in steps whenever he becomes overwhelmed. So first, he needs to breathe.

Soft footsteps come down the stairs, the candles lighting again as if by magic. Yuuri pulls himself to his feet and tries not to stumble on his trembling limbs. Shivering, he keeps his eyes on the floor even as the Beast comes to a halt just before him.

“I’ll show you to your room now.”

The Beast’s voice is soft, almost gentle without any growl beneath it. Blinking, Yuuri glances up in surprise.

“Room?“

The Beast smiles with the tilt of his head. Yuuri stares uneasily at the teeth of his maw, the strange emotion in his eyes that Yuuri still cannot read.

“Of course. This is to be your home now, and you’ll catch cold if you stay down here.”

Yuuri bites back a vicious comment at the odd attempt at comfort in the Beast’s voice. _For Phichit_ he thinks as he nods, bowing his head.

Then, he remembers with a sudden web of fear in his gut.

“W-Wait.” Yuuri steps forward just as the Beast turns to lead him. Raising an eyebrow, the Beast glances down at him with a blank expression.

“I came with a horse named Felipe. I tied him in the courtyard outside, but he needs rest and food.” Yuuri says, even as fearful thoughts fly through his head. He needs to take care of Felipe but what if the Beast sends Felipe away, or ignores him, or _eats him_ -

“I see. Then I suppose we should make sure he is taken care of first.” The Beast murmurs. Without another word he begins to climb the staircase, candlelight catching on the fine accents of his clothes.

Sending one final glance back at the dungeon, Yuuri follows.  

\--

When the Beast drags Phichit up the dungeon’s narrow staircase, he struggles every step of the way. Heart hammering in his chest like a drum, Phichit nearly bites his tongue off cursing, only pure desperation fueling him now.

Because - Because Yuuri was a fool! Too self-sacrificing, always underestimating his own importance to the people around him, and Phichit wishes he had enough energy to scream loud enough for his friend to hear.

How could he, _how could he_ make that choice? Take on Phichit’s burden to bear at such a high cost?

Phichit swears he’s going to grip Yuuri by the shoulders and shake him fiercely until he understands. And then, he might as well kiss him and propose for good measure, since no other aspect of his week had gone to plan.

The Beast yanks him easily despite his struggles, down a dim hallway and out the open castle door. The cold night’s breeze sent chills over Phichit’s skin, like dancing snowflakes struggling to fall far before their due. Yet, the Beast does not even hesitate.

Quickly, Phichit feels the burning anger within him transfer itself into striking panic. There is nothing his hands can do, and so he tries the next best tool he holds.

“Please, let him go! I’ll go back in my cell, I’ll stay willingly, just let him go!” Phichit twists, glaring up at the Beast the best he can. It doesn’t even deign to respond to him, halfway across the stone courtyard.

Groaning, Phichit turns his head and catches sight of Felipe tied to a post at the far end of the yard, before the Beast turns and he finds himself staring up at the distant moon instead.

Yuuri probably can’t even hear his yells now, still down in the depths of that castle dungeon. That thought strikes through Phichit’s stomach like a sword, and his struggles falter for just a moment because-

Forever. Yuuri had promised _forever_.

_“You’ll be fine without me!”_

Phichit inwardly promises himself at least two shaking sessions when this is all over. Just so Yuuri will finally understand the great depths of his feeling.

“Yuuri didn’t do anything! I did, so-!” Gasping, Phichit’s stomach dips as the Beast casually throws him. Not onto the harsh stone, thank god, but into a strange cart of wood and iron set up in a hidden corner of the expansive courtyard. As if by magic, the iron frame forms into bars over his head.

With a helpless cry, Phichit scrambles up to press against them and finally face his foe with a devastating glare.

The Beast only raises an eyebrow with a slight smile.

“Thief, I simply want you to remember - you stole something precious from me. I’m only returning the favor.”  

It is as though the Beast doesn’t understand the enormity of what he’s taking away, even as he says those words. The creature places a finger over its lips, eyes cold and distant in a way they hadn’t been even these past few days of irritating banter.

Phichit doesn’t know if that makes what’s occurring better or worse. But he does know that the burning hot hatred he feels bubbling in his gut is stronger than he ever thought possible.

Gripping the iron bars tightly in his chilled hands, Phichit leans up and stares. His voice, when it finally leaves his lips, is a cold, emotionless thing.

“I’ll come back. If you hurt him, if you even touch him, I’ll make sure you regret it.” Phichit etches this promise into his heart as he stares at the Beast, the castle, and captures every detail he can with his mind’s eye.

Laughing, the Beast steps away and waves to the cart with obvious disbelief.

“I’m afraid I doubt that. Take him back to Soigneux.”

The cart lurches up as if it held a life of its own, standing up on four legs like a horse with a terrible sound of clanging metal and wood. In shock, Phichit falls back, hitting his head on the iron bars with a reverberating echo. Gasping faintly, he stares up as dark trees pass overheard, as the shadow of the castle vanishes and the moon glimmers like a distant spectre above.

In the last moments before darkness covers his vision completely, Phichit remembers nothing but the press of the wind and Yuuri staring at him desperately from behind his eyelids.

\--

Walking through the castle is like intruding upon a tomb.

Yuuri can hardly breath within it, even among the finery, the candlelight. The suits of armor and paintings around him seem to shudder and turn beneath the moonlight and he hopes he’s imagining it, hopes desperately he still has the chance to wake up from this nightmare.

The fit of stubborn determination that brought him here vanishes in a sharp instant with Phichit’s absence. In the face of the Beast’s odd hospitality, his sharp smile, he’d only been able to follow in mute terror.

The Beast had stared at him, expression blank but unwavering as they’d stepped out into the castle’s courtyard. For a moment, Yuuri had considered the open gate with a desperate glance. Still, he knew the likelihood of outrunning the Beast or of making it home safely without a horse was slim. And, he decided very seriously, he wasn’t going to let Felipe be hurt by any more of his nonsense.

So, gently, he had stepped forward to untie Felipe’s reins. The Beast had stayed close behind, and when the horse startled at the eerie thing’s presence, Yuuri felt his heart break.

“It’s going to be alright, I promise. Everything’s going to be fine.” He’d murmured, just barely pacifying the horse.

Even now, back within the castle proper and being led to a room of the Beast’s choosing, Yuuri struggles not to repeat the words aloud to himself. At least Felipe was safely held in a stable - all Yuuri has is the shadows of the castle, the downturned eyes of his captor locked on the hallway ahead.

And now Yuuri cannot help but think of every dark story he and Phichit had consumed in their youth. Down hallways, up staircases, he follows the Beast and tries not to lose himself to the panic deep in his heart.

Through tall glass, moonlight shines over the dusty carpet and ripped curtains. Everywhere dead flowers droop in parched vases, paintings scratched or fallen from broken frames. When Yuuri turns to glance down an odd hallway he catches sight of a long row of broken mirrors. In the shards, his expression reflects pale, shaking.

“Your name is Yuri, correct?” The Beast turns. His long silver tail thumps on the ground, almost impatiently. The roses circling his head do not even flutter at the movement, unnaturally still.

Yuuri bites his lip with a wince.

“No. It’s . . . not Yuri. _Yuuri_. The first syllable is longer.” He manages to say, when he sees the Beast will not move forward until he speaks.

Humming, the Beast clicks his tongue. “Yuuri?” He tries again with a piercing gaze.

Between his teeth, Yuuri’s name sounds like something cloying, unfamiliar. Yuuri nods and lowers his eyes to his clasped hands. Thoughts threaten to swell up and he pushes them down ruthlessly because-

Because he doesn’t _want_ to think now, for once in his life. All he wants is to go _home_ , to cook dinner and lean over Phichit’s shoulder to see what he’s drawing now. Yuuri wants the press of Phichit’s warmth he always savors when he does so, the gentle way his friend turns to look at him. Once, he had considered himself lucky, to even have that.

Now he has nothing.

A suit of armor creaks next to them and Yuuri tenses at the sound.

He tenses even further when the Beast steps forward to wrap an arm around his waist, leading him further up a flight of stairs. Paling at the touch, Yuuri glances up. In the dim light the Beast’s blue eyes gleam just as brightly as the rose crown on his head, curved smile widening.

“ _Yuuri_. You may call me Victor when you ask for me from my servants. If you need anything at all, they will grant it to you.”

_Even my freedom?_ Yuuri wants to ask. He just barely manages to bite the words underneath his tongue. If the castle’s servants are as strange or eerie as this Beast, Yuuri doubts he’ll want anything to do with them.

A long silence passes. Victor’s claws scrape gently against the back of his coat and Yuuri swallows roughly. Despite himself, he glances up again to the rose crown as they walk.

They certainly couldn’t be natural but then, what were they? A sign of royalty, of some sort of favor or omen? Yuuri has never read of anything like them before and he can almost feel the magic seeping out of them, harsh and beautiful all at once. He wonders, if he touches them will they react in some way?

Phichit might be brave enough to try, in his position. Yuuri isn’t.

“Here we are!” Victor finally pulls away with a grand flourish of his arm towards a wooden door carved with vines and leaves. Yuuri takes the chance to step away, even as he glances at the Beast.

Victor seems remarkably pleasant now considering his earlier anger. Yuuri has no idea what to make of it all. He supposes he should be glad that the Beast didn’t lock him away in the dungeon to die in winter’s embrace, but-

Clawed hands grasp gently at his wrists, pulling him closer towards the Beast and forcing him to look up. Freezing, Yuuri realizes that though his thoughts had tried to run away he could not do the same so easily.

Victor stands tall above him, eyebrow raised.

“Yuuri, you must pay attention. You’re going to be here for a very long time, and I want to be certain of your comfort.”

Despite those claws close to his skin, Yuuri cannot help but flinch at the Beast’s blunt reminder. The movement crinkles the precious sketch in his pocket and Yuuri forces himself to hide the whirlwind of emotions he feels.

“I understand.” He murmurs darkly. Without a response Victor’s hands tighten around his wrists, pulling him forward into the room.

And despite himself, Yuuri cannot help but glance up, mouth agape in pure _shock_. This tower bedroom is nearly as large as all the rooms in his and Phichit’s little cabin combined, and perhaps larger considering the high slanted ceilings. Above his head, painted into the wood and stone, delicately painted murals of the day and night skies shimmer in hastily lit lamplight. In one corner, a grand four-poster bed sits with the curtains undrawn, revealing a stack of plush pillows and blankets. A wardrobe and vanity, dark wood pristine, sit across from it. There’s even a picturesque window seat at the far end of the room, looking out upon the dreary castle gardens down below.

It’s strikingly beautiful - and with a gasp Yuuri wrenches his hands away from Victor and presses them against his mouth to try and force down his nausea.

He’s been led from a _dungeon_ for goodness sake! Yuuri knew he and Phichit could have lived the rest of their lives together in comfort with this amount of finery!

It strikes Yuuri deeply as a gilded cage, simply another reminder of his imprisonment. He forces himself to stop that thought before it can descend into a spiral, breathing in with a shiver.

God, he wishes Phichit were here.

The Beast lays his hands on Yuuri’s shoulders, leaning down as if to compensate for his height. With an eager expression, he pushes Yuuri to step further into the room.

“Everything in this room belongs to you now, to do with as you please.” The Beast hesitates before pulling away. His claws linger over his shoulders and Yuuri turns quickly to move away from them.

“However,” Victor continues, “You are not to wander the castle at will. Furthermore, you are forbidden from entering the West Wing and the Courtyard Garden. Do you understand, Yuuri?”

A hot blush rises up Yuuri’s cheeks as he struggles to hide his muted anger. Carefully, he tries to control himself, glancing down with narrowed eyes.

“Yes, I do.”

Some of his feelings must seep through for the way Victor reaches to cup his cheek. It cuts through Yuuri with sharp horror as he feels those claws close against his throat. When he glances up, the Beast smiles at him hesitantly.

“Someday, I believe you’ll be able to find happiness here. Perhaps, even more than you could have imagined otherwise.” Victor says gently, as though he thinks he’s providing any sort of comfort.

Yuuri doesn’t dare say a word of his hateful thoughts, dark eyes impassive behind his glasses. Smile tensing, Victor pulls away.

“Dinner will be in an hour. I expect you to be ready by then?”

Swallowing roughly, Yuuri nods. He wraps his arms around himself absentmindedly.

With obvious relief, Victor smiles.

“I look forward to it.”

Yuuri doesn’t respond, almost holding his breath as he waits for the Beast to finally leave him. Still, Victor hesitates.

There’s an expectation in his eyes, something underneath the surface and Yuuri cannot even begin to imagine what it could be but he knows he doesn’t care for it.

And then, the moment passes. With forced cheer, Victor waves towards the far side of the room.

“My servants, JJ and Isabella, will help you with anything you need!”

_Who?_ Yuuri turns in confusion to find no one there besides themselves. He glances around for a moment but then-

The vanity creaks.

With a cry, Yuuri jumps back as the vanity _moves_ , legs bending and molding to walk in a way far too organic to be real-

“I look forward to dinner.” The Beast murmurs in his ear. Yuuri turns to demand answers, but Victor is already gone, the door closing with a click behind him.

With horror, Yuuri finds he’s been left alone with the moving furniture.

“A guest!” The hairbrush on the vanity perks up just as the vanity halts before him. In between Yuuri’s terrified reflection in the mirror, he realizes makeshift facial features have been carved around the glass and gold. A man’s voice echoes when the material moves in facsimile to humanity.

“Hmm, his style could use some work- “

“Well, that’s why we’re here, JJ dear! You’re Yuuri, aren’t you? Oh, I’m certain the Master already likes you- “ The hairbrush bounces up and down before the vanity presses even closer.

“Though he _can_ be a fool-“

Yuuri can see his reflection paling further and further in the vanity’s mirror.

Phichit would probably be fascinated by these servants, Yuuri muses hysterically. He can already imagine the curious scrunch of Phichit’s expression, the weight of charcoal in his hands as he sketches.

Then Yuuri remembers, like a death knell to his heart, that he may never see Phichit again.

“Now, why don’t we get you ready for dinner?” Isabella, _the hairbrush_ , continues with a chipper hop that breaks him from his thoughts.

“I’m not going to dinner.” Yuuri says instantly, far more levelly than he feels. The fine wood of the bedroom’s door digs into his back like a spur when the pair gasp in surprise.

“. . . B-But you have to! The Master- “JJ begins with a surprising amount of trepidation, considering his earlier bravado.

Yuuri grits his teeth.

“He’s no Master of mine!”

The stars of the tower’s mural ceiling seem to twinkle like blazing suns in his blurry vision. The servants begin to say something more, voices rising with words he can’t quite understand past his mind’s fervor. Yuuri swallows roughly as his fingers seek behind his back.

The crystal doorknob turns easily, even under his sweaty palm. In an instant Yuuri turns and runs, out and away. Faintly he hears JJ and Isabella calling but he ignores them as he rushes down the spiral staircase, down deeper and deeper into the dark castle.

\--

Yuuri doesn’t know how long or how far he runs. Hallways and curtains and stairways pass, all echoing alike in his vision, crowding and suffocating in their finery.

When he’d been very young, traveling across the sea with his family towards the kingdom they’d come to call home, their ship had spent some time docked at a foreign city. Yuuri couldn’t think of its name now, but he feels reminded of its dizzying streets, bustling with calling voices and side alleys to get lost in. Far different from Soigneux, where you’d only lose your way if you wandered too far into the forest with some foolish determination.

Yuuri supposes, in some twisted way, this had been what he and Phichit wanted. Something _more_.

Halfway down a long hall, eyes just barely adjusted enough to see, the silent darkness becomes too much. Struggling to catch his breath, Yuuri grasps at one of the sets of curtains and yanks hard until the velvet gives and moonlight shines through.

Somehow, in his wanderings, he’d reached the ground level of the castle. A wide grassy lawn, just slightly overgrown, spans like a curtain down towards the trembling forest trees. Off to the side, if Yuuri presses close to the cold glass, he can see hedges curling into a weaving maze, harsh patterns of dead and dying flowers between every row.

Desperately, Yuuri hopes he’ll wake up from this horrible nightmare.

Yet, the press of chilled glass against Yuuri’s face feels blindingly real. For the first moment since he’d promised to stay in this place, Yuuri draws in a deep breath and forces himself to calm. In long stretches of time, seconds he counts with unsure precision, he feels his breathing return to normal, his thoughts quiet.

Still staring outside at the twinkling sky, Yuuri settles onto the wide window seat and tries to think rationally.

_What do you know?_ Phichit asks in his head, ever practical, and Yuuri takes stock.

A castle that shouldn’t be, servants made of moving objects that act as though human, and a Beast with unknown expectations in his eyes. A Beast who’d made him promise to stay forever, in place of Phichit for some crime Yuuri still doesn’t know.

Yet, what’s stopping him from leaving now? Besides his own word, what does the Beast have to hold him here?

Yuuri thinks of those teeth, bared in anger in the dungeon below, and shivers. Well, perhaps plenty. If the servants are moving objects, Yuuri doubts that it would give them much difficulty to bar the doors outside and keep him here. Even if he passed them, passed Victor, once winter fell there would be no traveling on the treacherous roads.

And _even then_ , if he left, what would stop Victor from deciding to take Phichit back in return?

Yuuri knows he could never forgive himself if anything happened to Phichit because of him.

It’s only been a few hours and yet it feels an eternity with forever stretched out before him. When Yuuri turns to look outside again, paper crinkles in his pocket.

Instantly he remembers.

With careful fingers, Yuuri pulls out the sketch he had found of Vicchan. It’s just a little smudged now but still so lovely his heart hurts at the very sight. Yuuri gazes at the sketch, the painted flowers, and struggles to keep tears from falling.

He _knows_ Phichit. No matter what Yuuri had promised down in the dungeon, no matter what Beast or magic stands in his way, he knows Phichit will come back for him. They’ll leave this place together, and perhaps then life will align once more towards a shared future. A shared heart.

Before he can overthink his actions, Yuuri presses a gentle kiss to the paper, lingering.

Outside, clouds begin to drift before the moon. In the crisp cold of the glass, Yuuri glances at his reflection as he puts away the precious sketch. And then, he freezes.

Soft clangs and footfalls echo from further down the hall. Biting his lip, Yuuri quickly pulls his legs up onto the window seat and turns to close the curtains over the window. The metal of the curtain rod clinks minutely above his head and Yuuri stills fearfully as the fabric closes completely, leaving him blind to the hallway.

The fabric rustles in the moonlight, and he watches it desperately. Still, it seems he’s remained unnoticed.

Voices murmur. A man’s voice, smooth and genial, hums.

“Master, perhaps we should give him some time? Surely, if you rush things-“

A sharp growl resounds in response, cutting off the man’s voice. Yuuri covers up a gasp with a hand, pressing back further against the cold glass at the sound of the Beast’s anger.

“I should’ve never left him alone so soon! I should have done _something_ more.” Victor growls, voice pausing in front of the curtains.

A woman’s voice responds this time, soft. Her accent reminds Yuuri of his family’s inn, of his mother leaning over him to instruct on how to make recipes from home. Still, he focuses on the words instead.

“What else could you have done, Master? He’s lost everything of the outside world now, surely you understand more than anyone-“

“Not to mention, you were rather cruel to his friend. “The man cuts in before she can finish, uncertain. Faintly, Yuuri hears what sounds like the Beast beginning to groan.

“Don’t be like that, you’ve probably terrified him!“ The woman snaps. Despite it all, Yuuri almost wants to laugh behind his hands when Victor’s groan cuts off at the end of her words.

Silences reigns. Then, the Beast sighs despondently.

“It’s rather difficult not to terrify him.” Victor murmurs.

Yuuri’s worry grows as the footsteps stop, too close to his hiding place for comfort. The unknown man clears his throat with a slight cough. Breezily, he begins to speak.

“Do you really think you’ll ever be able to make him- I mean, do you think he’ll be the one to-“

Before the man can finish, Victor replies with a curt tone.

“He’s the only one who’s ever promised to stay. For now, that is all I can state with confidence.”

Heart in his throat, Yuuri leans forward just a little, eyes narrowing behind his glasses as he tries to understand. Gently, the Beast continues with a little bitterness in his tone.

“Though, I suppose I do not have much of a choice in the matter.”

“Don’t speak like that. There’s always a choice.” The woman’s voice bristles with fevered determination.

No one has any response to that. None except for Yuuri’s anxious thoughts, ready to spring up once more at the new information. _What does this Beast want with me?_

Yuuri leans back slowly against the glass, so not to make a noise. Just as he settles, the window’s lock squeaks sharply at the pressure to the glass, obvious and piercing. Flinching, Yuuri turns with a wide eyed look as the curtains are pulled to reveal the moonlight shining down behind him.

“ _There_ you are!” The man’s voice springs out with energy as a candlestick hops up on the window seat besides Yuuri. “You gave us quite a scare!”

Swallowing roughly, Yuuri glances up to find a teapot staring at him in surprise. Next to her, the Beast stares at him in what can only be utter mortification. Or, at least, Yuuri thinks so for the second’s span it appears.

When he blinks, Victor is only glancing at him with a vague smile.

“I hope you were not too uncomfortable hiding there from us all.”

Something about the Beast’s tone lingers between geniality and biting sarcasm. Bristling, Yuuri stands and meets his gaze clearly with all the anger these hours have pressed into him.

“I hope you don’t believe I’m going to have dinner with you still.”

Victor looks nearly as taken aback as Yuuri feels by his own words, that mask crumpling just a little with the tilt of his rose-covered head. Yuuri can already hear Phichit’s laughter, and feels a smile prick his lips.

The candlestick and teapot trade mutual, impassive looks and do not dare to speak.

Gritting his teeth, the Beast falls into a deep bow before outstretching his hand.

“Of course, it _has_ been a tiring evening for you. Let me escort you back to your room.” There’s no question to Victor’s tone - but it is better than being forced to have dinner with the Beast.

Silent, Yuuri steps past him and lets his fingers slip into his pocket to brush over Phichit’s sketch.

Soon. Perhaps, this all would be over soon.

And, once again, Yuuri lets the Beast lead him through the endless dark hallways of the castle.


	3. Wilted Flowers and Mirrored Reflections

The next morning, Soigneux is practically ablaze with rumors. Mothers whisper gossip to each other in the schoolyard as they hand off their children, merchants lean close over shop counters to listen and gasp at the appropriate times, and even the customers in Minako’s little bookstore aren’t immune from trading cautious, meaningful looks between the bookshelves.

At first, Minako doesn’t really pay attention, grunting with effort as she moves stacks of books from the back to restock her shelves and smiling charmingly at passerby. No one looking at her would realize the annoyance bubbling under her cheery veneer, and every few minutes she glares at the clock.

For the first time, Yuuri was _late._

Normally, Minako would’ve been quite worried. On a normal day, Yuuri apologized if he wasn’t more than ten minutes early to work, hands waving frantically as he ran through the back of the store.

Still, Minako muses, love makes even the most responsible employees lazy. She wonders how exactly it went - who confessed first? Did the pair _finally_ talk out the length of their mutual feelings or had they simply jumped past all that and already begun planning a wedding date like the silly fools they were?

Well, as long as they were both happy, she’d hold in her complaints.

Finally finishing moving over the last of the book shipment (without Yuuri’s help, damn him!) Minako collapses against her counter with a huff. Only then is she able to hear some of the gossip breezing past her door.

“Yes, it was _shocking_ , they say he ran into town like a _madman_ just after dawn-“

“Chulanont? _Really?_ ”

Minako stands up straight with a sudden jerk. Her eyes flick towards the open door, but the laughing pair had already moved on past her shop.

For a moment she stands silently, tapping her fingers against her books. When she glances around she finds the store empty once more, her shelves offering no answers to the questions burning in her mind.

“Just some silly gossip.” Minako murmurs, but her gut burns sickly.

The next customers in her shop don’t speak a word of gossip of to her, and so Minako relaxes just a little as she carried about her business. The people in Soigneux really were partial to silly rumors . . .

Just as the sun begins to drift down from its highest point, the farmer Celestino walks into her shop. There’s a strange look on his face, something guarded. Minako hesitates, watching as he quickly lowers his hat and makes his way to the front counter. When he speaks, he keeps his voice low so no one else can hear.

“Ms. Okukawa, has Yuuri come in today? Or Phichit, for that matter?”

“No . . . though Yuuri should have been here this morning. Have you seen them today?” Minako glances over to her bookshop and frowns when she notices a few of her customers trying to listen in. Vultures, all of them.

Noting her gaze, Celestino leans in closer and lowers his voice.

“Well, it’s just this – last night I found my horse wandering around the fields alone. I took him to their cabin, to see if Phichit had gone home and accidentally tied him loose, but only Yuuri was there.”

Celestino continues with his story, eyes downcast with worry. With every minute, Minakos eyes grow wider and wider. Of _course_ Yuuri ran off on a tired horse without warning anyone, of _course_ Phichit had seemingly returned without either horse or man in a dazed panic. Did either of these boys ever think before acting?

“Do you know if either of them are back at the cabin?” Minako grits her teeth when Celestino shrugs.

“I really have no idea – Madame Leroy says she saw Phichit grab some things and run right back in the forest this morning. Said he’d looked half dead, raving about Yuuri being in danger and giving everyone awake a good scare before he left.”

Minako grips the book in her hands so tightly her knuckles turn white. Outside the clouds are already beginning to darken, the trees growing more and more bare. The first snow is likely within the next week or two, and instead of confessing their love like she thought Phichit and Yuuri have been galavanting out in the cold!

She thinks of Yuuri and Phichit’s families, unknowing down in Lausau. She thinks of how, if something really has happened, she will have to be the one to tell them.

She’s already sat idle for too long.

“Thank you.” Minako manages to say, setting the book down with a harsh thud. Celestino gives her a sympathetic smile.

“I thought you should know – everyone else is spouting rumors like chickens with their heads cut off. Whenever this gets settled, the poor boys are going to have a great deal to explain.”

 _They sure are._ Minako bites her tongue and nods firmly.

As Celestino leaves, she catches sight of her wayward customers, eyes flicking over to her counter with curious glances.

“Are you buying anything?” Minako snaps, turning with a huff taken from years traveling alone on dusty roads with strangers. Without further ado, one of the ladies blushes and the whole group bustles out of her shop with stage-whispered complaints.

Paying them no mind, Minako stares blankly at the town square beyond their retreating forms. Now that she’s paying attention, she can catch sight of the whispers, the odd looks being sent towards her shop.

What had happened, out there in the forest?

Well, Minako muses grimly, standing around wouldn’t bring her any answers. And with that thought, she begins to close her store for the day.

\--

Phichit can’t bring himself to return to their cabin until long after night has fallen once more.

Exhaustion burns at the edge of his eyes, pure frustration crackling through his weary bones as he walks the path towards home. Phichit wishes desperately he’d brought one of his sketchbooks along, if only to draw out the lay of the land, the shaking of his fingers.

Nothing. That morning he’d woken in a pile of rotten wood and rusted steel, the remains of that enchanted cart ruined completely just outside of Soigneux. He’d rushed out on foot, ran nearly the whole way to Beaussonne and found _nothing._

How was that possible? How could that _be_? In a panic, Phichit had almost struck out into the dark trees themselves on some path of his own, only common sense and the setting of the sun holding him back.

It was like the earth had swallowed the strange castle whole, as though the finery and the gardens and the _Beast_ had merely been a figment of his fevered imagination.

Like Yuuri had only been a dream.

Except Yuuri was _not_ a dream, Yuuri had a family and an employer and a life that should have _never been taken from him_.

But they had been. And it was all Phichit’s fault.

The enormity of it nearly staggers Phichit, and he grips a nearby tree to steady himself. For a moment he stares around at the quiet forest, the distant lights of Soigneux.

What is he going to do now? How can he explain any of this and get his dear friend home? Drawing in a sharp breath, Phichit brushes the hair away from his face and tries to think of what Yuuri would do.

He’d never believed in magic or superstition. But he can already hear his Yuuri’s voice in his mind, voice lecturing and eyes bright. _In tales of magic and fae, some paths can only open at the right time or place, or only under certain circumstances. Like under a full moon, or when you’re in the right emotional state, or just by chance._

Phichit slowly begins to walk forward once more, mind churning. Experiments then, he could do that. Trace the moon and sun in the sky, search through the lives of blooming winter plants, find _something_ that might allow him to return to that dreaded castle once more.

He didn’t even get to say goodbye. He didn’t get the chance to-

Just as he steps out of the trees, Phichit glances up towards their home and freezes in place. Candlelight flickers in their cabin, a shadow moving across one of the windows as he watches.

His restless hands fall still.

Despite his fatigue, Phichit runs. Around the cabin, up the steps, nearly falling face first onto the doorstep when he trips. The door is unlocked, opening easily under his fingers.

“Yuuri?!”

Minako turns from her perch at the dining room table. A bouquet of slightly wilted red roses sits in a vase of water on the table next to her, and Phichit glances between her and the flowers with wide eyes.

Raising an eyebrow, Minako stands and crosses her arms. Then, she nods at the open door.

Swallowing roughly, Phichit closes and locks it tightly. The fireplace crackles as a log falls further into ashes, the sound blistering in the silence.

“I’m going to ask you some questions, and I want you to tell me the complete truth. Do you understand?” Despite never having been a mother, Minako sounds exactly like Phichit’s parents in repressed anger. Despite this, he doesn’t meet her eyes when he sits as the table across from her.

“You’re not going to believe what I tell you.” Phichit murmurs. Resuming her seat, Minako hums.

“I’ll be the judge of that-“

“You can’t tell anyone else! They’ll never believe me, think me madder than they already do ,and – and I need time. I know I can find Yuuri, I _have to_ -“ Phichit catches himself before he can ramble further, all the frustration of the past day seeping out of him. Minako stares at him in honest shock and for once he really can’t blame her.

How often has he brushed away the concerns of others with his ever-present smile? Some days, it felt like Yuuri was the only one who could pull him close by the wrist and force him to honestly confess his sadnesses, his fears.

God, Phichit loves him. Is he in that distant dungeon now, all alone?

Minako snaps her fingers in front of his face and Phichit jolts, focusing once more.

“Start from the beginning.” She says, and for the first time he can see the fear behind her eyes too. “Tell me what happened, all of it.”

So, with a sharp breath, Phichit does.

\--

“I went down the wrong path while traveling north. There was a fork in the road that shouldn’t have been there, and I suppose I lost my way. I thought I would be fine, but . . . there were wolves. They came from nowhere and-”

_Sharp teeth spooking Felipe from the dark trees on either side. Gripping the reins tightly until his fingers hurt, yanking faster, faster, back on track until the white wolves, slobbering, howling, forced him off the road._

“The carriage overturned off the path. Thankfully, my food stores broke open and the wolves were distracted enough by that for me to run. I tried to grab Felipe, but he ran off into the trees, faster than I could follow.”

_Running through the forest, heart beating too fast, like a deer had taken root and driven his panic. Gazing up, up, as a shadow cut across his eyes and-_

“There was a castle. I knew it shouldn’t be there, but I was curious, and the wolves were going to come after me eventually if I didn’t find shelter. I couldn’t – I couldn’t just die there. So I went.”

_The sketch, the paintings, the fair, the proposal, all were lost because one led to the other and Phichit could feel his heart ripping at the seams. But here was something he could think of instead, a mystery, a castle seemingly lost from the rest of the world._

“I thought it was empty. The front door was unlocked, and when I called out to ask for shelter for the night no one answered me.”

_Glimmering glass and stone, beautiful in a strange way and Phichit felt exhilarated despite all the misfortune. He wondered what Yuuri would think of this, what it would be like to explore this strange place together. The thought brought warmth to his chilled bones and determination pushed him forward._

“I decided to explore.”

_Up and down staircases, oohing and aahing over fine tapestries lined with gold, and Phichit couldn’t help but laugh whenever he heard footsteps from behind and turned to see nothing. A ghost? An adventure! And for the first time in so very long, something new._

“And then, when I was walking I – well I thought I’d found a way to make up for losing everything else.”

_Phichit pushed open doors made entirely of glass and found himself in a Courtyard Garden. Trees and unfamiliar plants reached up towards the open night sky, all of them black and Phichit shivered as a swift breeze cycled down, whistling through the stone._

“Most of the plants were already dead from the winter chill.”

_He stepped further and further into the garden. The vines of something living trailed up, flowering with buds despite the late season. Blue roses, in full bloom, shimmered in the light as if by magic. Though the bush was alone, cut off from the rest of the garden, it seemed its centerpiece, too wide and tall to be missed._

“I didn’t think anyone was there! And . . . you know Yuuri adores blue roses.”

_It was perfect. Missing the fair and first place, even his ruined proposal could all be saved! Blue roses were so rare, only the toast of royalty, and yet here they were abandoned by some rich owner. The bush was too beautiful to disturb too deeply but . . . just one would be enough. Yuuri would love it, perhaps even love him._

“The castle was less abandoned than I thought it was.”

\--

Staring across the table, Minako watches as Phichit’s shoulders tighten up to his ears. He looks like a guilty child confessing to some mischief, and all she wants to do is reach across the table and comfort him. Wipe the grime from his face and tell him to relax, as though they were only speaking of another plan to confess his love.

But this is far more than that, and so she doesn’t say a word.

“There was a Beast. I can barely think of how to describe it . . . like someone had taken one of the wolves and crossed it with a man and some other unnamed _thing_ trying to play at humanity with fine clothes.”

And Phichit doesn’t even look at Minako as he speaks now, eyes distant. The clock in the living room tolls some hasty late hour and neither pay it any mind.

“It had a crown of the same blue roses on its head and this voice like a horrible growl. It accused me of theft and trespassing, and took me to the dungeon where I stayed . . . until Yuuri found me there.”

The shape of it all falls into Minako’s head. Hoping desperately she’s wrong, Minako sits up straighter and meets Phichit’s eyes.

“Where’s Yuuri now?”

But Phichit doesn’t look at her. Minako falters as his voice rises.

“I tried to stop him but - that Beast promised to let me go if he took my place, and Yuuri agreed!”

“God.” Minako shivers, her heart pounding at the story. “Is he still there now?”

“Yes! So, you do believe me?” Phichit nearly stands, eyes burning wildly. Minako stares and feels the bottom of her stomach drop out at the sight.

What is she supposed to say? Difficult customers, extreme weather, these things she can deal with. Hell, she’s traveled from one side of the world to the other on wits alone! But this-

If Phichit’s right about one thing, it’s that no one will believe him.

“I know what you look like when you’re lying, and you’re not lying to me.” Minako admits, rubbing her temples. Phichit beams at her in response, fraying at the edges.

For the first time she really looks at him, wincing at the scratches littering his arms and dirt staining his clothes. No wonder he gave everyone a scare this morning. Minako sighs deeply and glances over at the clock above the mantle.

“I need . . . I need to think about this. The snows are going to start falling within the next week or so, and if you were out all day and night searching I don’t like our odds of going about this without help-“

“Yuuri might come back on his own too. He might still have Felipe with him even.” Phichit says quickly. Minako doesn’t know if he’s trying to allay her fears or his own, and frustration pounds in her gut.

For all she knows, it might not be the truth. Phichit might not be lying but . . . he had been missing for a week without them knowing. If he’d been wandering all this time, perhaps something had happened to mess with his memories. Still, that explanation rings just as oddly as the story he’s given.

Carefully, she pitches her voice to a calming note.

“How about we talk more in the morning? You need some rest and food after everything you’ve gone through. Then we can think this through.”

When Minako stands and begins towards the door, Phichit stares up at her with wide eyes. He opens his mouth, pauses, and then grits his teeth.

“I . . . I’m going to find him, I promise. I’ll kill that Beast if I have to, but if you tell everyone they’re going to think I’m crazy, they’ll _stop_ me and then if Yuuri can’t escape-“

“Phichit-” Minako tries to cut him off, but Phichit bears her no mind.

“He might die. He might be dead already, with that way that Beast acted.” Shivering, full body, Phichit grips the table hard. Minako swallows down a sudden grip of nausea and turns, grabbing him by the shoulders.

“Don’t say that!”

Phichit rears back like he’s been struck, eyes gaining some measure of clarity when Minako glares.

“We’re going to get Yuuri back, but you can’t lose your head over this!”

The cabin is silent. Breath shuddering in his lungs, Phichit manages a quick nod. Staring, Minako pulls away.

“Alright. Good night.”

Minako’s partway through pulling on her coat, door already open when Phichit stands, voice soft.

“Thank you for the flowers.”

She freezes, one foot out the door. Minako had almost forgotten about the roses, sitting innocently in their vase. They’d been wilting on the table when she’d walked in that evening, and her heart had realized in an instant where they had come from.

Should she lie? Or would that only make things worse? God, it was far too cold and too late for this-

Phichit blinks and glances at her as she stands deathly still in the doorway.

“Minako?”

Slowly, Minako turns and meets his eyes, grip tight on the cold wood of the door.

“I didn’t bring those – Yuuri bought them for you.”

Minako catches Phichit’s eyes widen before she leaves, closing the door and leaning against it with her full weight. Outside is deadly silent and she almost feels the judgemental press of eyes from the forest for her quick retreat.

All the animals must already be waiting for winter’s beginning, she muses. Not much time left.

Minako tries to imagine it – a castle owned by a strange Beast, surrounded on all sides by blue roses. She’s certain she’s never read of such a thing and yet, something about it seems familiar.

The wind begins to pick up as she walks back into Soigneux, her mind turning over and over.

\--

Phichit doesn’t sleep that night.

He knows he should. He can feel the exhaustion wearing at him from lack of sleep, lack of rest. Spending days in a cold dungeon and a night out in the forest did little for the aches in his bones, and he feels like an old man. Yet, he continues to force himself awake.

For hours Phichit stares at the ticking clock, light rising and falling over the curtains and paintings of their home. Every spare sketchbook is pulled out, every map flung open.

Pausing in the middle of scribbling out a hasty map on one of his sketchbooks, Phichit glances up at the flowers beside him.

“You should go to bed.” Yuuri would say quietly, whenever he stayed up to some too-late hour. Phichit never knew if his candlelight murmurings woke him up, or if Yuuri just had a sense for when he was awake, but he always came to urge him to bed.

Some nights when he works late, Phichit has dreamt of Yuuri standing above him in that way. _Come to bed_ , he says instead, with a kiss to his forehead. But before Phichit can, he awakes alone, candlelight his only companion.

Phichit reaches out gently, running his fingers over a rose petal. It’s delicate, soft between his fingers, even as the thorns below spring out in warning.  

He’s thought the words for nearly a decade now, first in childish friendship and then in honest longing. He even almost said them aloud the night before. But only now, to this silent room, does Phichit let them slip past his lips.

“ . . . I love you.”

The roses don’t respond. The moon is beginning to set, drawing down under the weight of its own light. Letting out a harsh laugh, Phichit copies another line of a map’s path, crossing out where he’d already searched.

“I love you Yuuri. And-And I promise-”

The door creaks. Phichit hesitates, head shooting up with feverish hope. But it’s only the wind, and he laughs bitterly again.

“-I’ll bring you home.”

\--

“Show me my guest.”

The mirror’s surface ripples like waves upon a pond, glistening with pinpricks of light that spread and cover the glass completely. It takes only a moment for them to clear, and when they do the reflection has changed.

Yuuri sits at the edge of the window seat in his grand bedroom. His eyes are curious over the mechanisms of the lock, the height down from the high tower, though it cannot be the first time he’s studied them. Carefully, he runs his fingers over the edge of the hinges before shaking his head at the ground far below.

He still wears the clothes he’d entered the castle in, hastily cleaned. The tall wardrobe has not even been touched, and even the bed has just barely been disturbed. Still, the room seems warmer than before, just a little more lived in.

There’s a knock on the door, like the clinking of porcelain. Yuuri turns and slips off the window seat.

“Hello?”

“Just bringing you something to eat! You must be starving!” A cheery voice calls through the door.

Despite a slight hesitation, Yuuri steps forward and unlocks the bedroom door with a clear click.

In an instant, there’s a flurry of motion. A little cart rolls into the bedroom and stops sharply before the bed. The tray over the large platter on top unveils itself with a grand flourish, even as teacups and a worn tea kettle on the lower level jump. One of the teacups spills, just a little, and the others giggle at the faux pas.

The food must smell delicious – steam wafts out into the room and Yuuri stares with a helpless smile.

And then he laughs, letting the door fall closed as he kneels.

“Thank you Yuuko, and everyone! For the food and the company - it means a great deal to me.” Yuuri says, settling on the plush carpet with a slight smile.  

Yuuko hesitates, steam wafting from her spout. Her painted eyes flicker sadly up at him before she hops forward with a smile.

“Of course! We’re glad to see you happy, though I know you must not be very comfortable, cooped up all alone - are you certain you don’t wish to leave? You aren’t a prisoner in this room.”

In the mirror, Yuuri blinks in honest surprise.

“I . . . I am a prisoner in the castle though.”

Yuuko does not have a response to that, the cups and plates’ chatter falling silent. Staring at them desperately, Yuuri clasps his hands.

“Please, Yuuko, it’s been a week since I’ve agreed to stay here. Can you really not tell me anything about this place, or the Beast? If this is all I’m going to have for the rest of my life, I’d like some answers.”

Every word seems honest, but also as carefully chosen as any diplomatic meeting or ballroom flirtation. Still, in the mirror’s reflection Yuuko visibly softens, her porcelain frame relaxing.

“I understand. And to be quite honest, I don’t know what to tell you outside of the obvious. This place is our home, Victor is the master of the estate, and we have always served him though not always in this way.”    

A wrinkle curves in the midst of Yuuri’s brow. Seeing this, Yuuko’s floral patterns scrunch up just a little with her expression to mirror his.

“Though, that doesn’t mean we always agree with his actions. Your poor friend-”

Startling, Yuuri glances up and leans forward. The new emotion in his eyes is passionate, obvious even through the mirror’s surface.

“Please, do you know why Victor locked him away? He said Phichit was a thief, but he’d never steal anything knowingly, I swear!”

The mirror trembles a little, the picture flickering for a moment before leaving. The surface is calm for a moment. Then, with a soft sigh-

“Show him to me again.”

And again the mirror glistens, the picture returning with ease.

Yuuko is speaking again, even as she shuffles one of the teacups over into Yuuri’s waiting hands.

“-ask him. None of the servants know. I know your first impression wasn’t quite the best but Victor is more than he seems, far more. I think you could come to like him even!” Yuuko laughs with just a touch of nerves.

Yuuri doesn’t say a word, taking a sip of his tea with his eyes lowered. The teacup giggles at the feeling and he pulls it away with a slight smile.

Still, when he glances up to Yuuko his eyes are serious.

“I don’t know if I ever could like him, seeing as he means to keep me here in this way.”

Yuuko doesn’t hasten to protest, humming a soft acknowledgement.

“But, I do want answers. It’s been a week after all so . . . I suppose I’ll try to have dinner with him.” Yuuri’s shoulders are up to his ears, worry almost perfectly visible along his spine.

The picture lingers, stuttering. Then it vanishes in a swirl of glittering sparks. This time, the mirror lies dormant once more.

\--

The first night in the castle, Yuuri had barely slept in his fear. The second he had spent staring out the window, watching, waiting. The third and forth he finally collapsed against the bed and slept, and all the nights afterward blended together in a mix of hope and disappointment. His bedroom door had remained locked tightly throughout, his only visitors the castle’s odd servants.

Or at least, the only visitors he _allowed._

The Beast had been incessant those first few days, constantly calling at his door. _Will you come eat with me Yuuri? Come walk in the gardens?_ _Come sit by the fire with me?_ His voice lilting, too light, pierced through every fear held in Yuuri’s heart.

So many expectations in that voice. Isn’t Yuuri a prisoner here? Why play at otherwise, why try to _pretend?_

Yuuri refuses to answer, and eventually Victor does not return.

Only once had Yuuri dared try to leave his room and venture towards the outside. Perhaps, if he were careful, he could sneak downstairs and slip away before anyone noticed, promise or not?

But the servants seemed to be everywhere, and within scarcely a few minutes Victor himself just _happened_ to wander by and _oh_ , what a surprise! Perhaps some tea?

“No thank you.” Yuuri had said firmly, retreating to his bedroom once more. Victor’s eyes had stared almost desperately as he’d closed the door, and Yuuri shivers still thinking of it.

 _Phichit will come soon._ He thinks at least once an hour, staring out towards the forest below. These things simply took time - perhaps Yuuri’s dear friend had gathered the help of Minako or some of the other villagers. Or perhaps he was even scouting below, trying to find the best way into the castle!

Each night, Yuuri’s excuses grow weaker. Still, everytime he stares at the painted sketch, the only slip of paper tying him back to the outside world, his heart flutters once more.

He has to believe in Phichit - he must. Even if hope feels so far away. Even if in his isolation, he feels nearly forgotten by the outside world.

The heroes of his favored books all had to search through adversity. Perhaps, Yuuri hopes, this is only the prelude to a greater happiness?

It’s difficult to remember, considering there aren’t any books in his bedroom. Just his own twisting thoughts.

So now, on this night, Yuuri prepares for dinner with the Beast. What else can he do? If he can’t leave, if no one will come - he can’t stay locked away forever, as much as he wishes.

His clothes are too dirty to wear to dinner, but Yuuri doesn’t even glance at the finery lining most of the bedroom’s grand wardrobe. Instead, he digs around in the back, fingers brushing against the fine wood and linens, until he finds a simple shirt and pair of trousers. The fabric is better than he and Phichit could afford, but it feels closer to home than anything else in this place.

Just as Yuuko knocks on the door, Yuuri hesitates over Phichit’s sketch. Should he bring it for luck? But no - if Victor finds it, he may never get it back.

So in a quick movement he pushes it underneath his pillow.

“Yuuri! Are you ready?” Yuuko’s voice echos cheerily through the door. It’s hard not to murmur a sarcastic comment but Yuuri manages, steeling his shoulders to open the door.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

\--

The wooden doors to the dining room open on their own, creaking loudly in the otherwise silent hall. Already Yuuri feels lost once more, even following Yuuko all the way through twisting candlelit halls.

Just how large is this castle? Even if Phichit returns ( _when, not if, he reminds himself_ ) how will they find each other?

Yuuri has just enough time to note the intricate carvings pressing up and down the wooden doors, of fine dances and hunts and meetings. Before he can look closer, curious, Yuuko ushers him through the doors with a huff of steam.

“Master?” She calls. Yuuri clenches his fists to his sides as he glances up, searching for the Beast.  

Surprisingly, the grand dining room sits empty. Warmth extends from a blazing fireplace, taller than Yuuri and perhaps as tall as the Beast himself. The curtains of a far window have been drawn back to reveal the dim sunset outside - though whether they have been pulled apart recently or long ago, Yuuri is unable to tell.

Yuuko tsks under her breath as she glances around the room.

“I’ll go see where the Master has wandered off to.”

And with a clink of porcelain against stone, she leaves.

The grand doors close behind her and Yuuri quickly looks away, feeling very much adrift. Anxiety crackles over his skin, rooting him still on the plush red carpet below him.

A minute passes, then another. Yuuri breathes deeply and slowly turns towards the window. Will this one open for him? The one in his tower above wouldn’t budge and . . . and it _has_ been a week since he’s tasted fresh air.

Still, when he tries the chilled windows he finds the locks too secure to move - though whether by age or design Yuuri can’t tell. Letting out a soft sigh, he peers through the glass to try and calm his worn heart.

For once, these windows don’t open upon the distant forest, or rows of hedges. Instead, Yuuri finds himself gazing across a courtyard contained within the castle’s walls - barren, mournful with rotting branches and wilted flowers.

Windows glisten across the way as well, lights passing and he wonders who might wander there. A servant? A ghost? Or perhaps, it is the Beast himself coming to dine with him?

Yet . . . Victor had told him he was forbidden from a Courtyard Garden. Was this it? Surely, it couldn’t be! _What could the Beast wish to hide in dead earth?_ Yuuri wonders silently. Perhaps, something on a wall down where the courtyard extends, past where he can see?

He pulls himself away from the window, to avoid looking at the depressing sight any longer - and startles with a yelp at the sound of a low gong echoing across the room.

Yuuri turns on his heel, heart skipping a beat. It’s hard not to feel a little silly when he catches sight of the grandfather clock, standing at lonely attention on the far wall.

“Oh!” Laughter bubbling up, Yuuri steps forward to get a closer look. “It’s only you, thank goodness.” This must be the only clock he’s seen in all the castle, he realizes! No wonder the chime had scared him - he’s gone without for too long.

Still, if this truly were the castle’s only clock, it made up for all the others lost with its grandeur. Yuuri has never seen one like this - carved in the same style as the dining room’s doors with little scenes of flora and fauna, the wood well-shined and kept. The clock’s face looks to be formed out fine wood and stone, moons and suns and stars reflecting from its face in an endless twirl of swirling time.

And diligently, with every second, the clock clicks a grounding tune. _Tick, tock, tick, tock . . ._

“Phichit would love you.” Yuuri murmurs wistfully, delicately pressing his fingers against a carving of a bird in flight, polished and pristine. “To toll on the half hour even! How quaint . . .”

“I beg your pardon?!”

With a cry, Yuuri leaps back and turns on instinct. Had someone else entered the room? But no - he’s still alone, the doors firmly closed. As if reading his thoughts, that metallic voice echos again.

“I’m up here you dolt!”

Gasping, Yuuri turns back to stare up at the clock. Finding a pair of star-eyes squinting down at him from the clock’s face, he flushes and bows on instinct. _Is anything not alive in this place?_

“I’m very sorry!”

“ . . . Hmph. I suppose it’s to be expected, considering my state.”

The clock’s dial turns further downwards, in an odd facsimile of a mouth. Swallowing, Yuuri straightens slowly as the clock’s hands turn around and around for a moment, before settling back into place.

And, despite himself, Yuuri continues to stare. A tea kettle or a vanity for servants were odd, but a clock seems an especially cruel fate. With a hesitant glance towards the still-closed doors, Yuuri allows a little curiosity.

“Who are you? Yuuko didn’t tell me you would be here.”

Yuuri can never get used to the way the servants move. The wood of the clock squeaks when it bends, twisting almost uncomfortably.

“What need would I have to talk to our rare guests? There’s little use.”

 _There have been others?_ Yuuri bites his tongue before the question can slip out. The little tick tocks ring quieter throughout the dining room, nearly overtaken by the roaring of the fire.

“Then why are you talking to me?” He finally asks.

The clock’s eyes seem almost studious as they glance back down over him - Yuuri struggles not to fidget with his glasses or smooth down the unfamiliar clothes. Whatever the servant sees, it makes him sigh.

“It’s been a very, very long time.”

Yuuri finds himself struck by the utter defeat in the clock’s voice. He doesn’t quite know what to say in response and after a long moment the clock stiffens back into form.

“I am Yakov. I’m Victor’s advisor - or I was. The fool never listens to me, even now.” The last sentence is muttered, low. But it’s something more honest than Yuuko’s teasing around Victor’s actions or the other servants flitting through the hallways.

The dining room door still has not opened, but Yuuri cannot bring himself to care where the Beast might be now. Gently, he takes a step closer, his voice lowering just in case other servants are hiding throughout the room.

“Please, can you tell me more about this place? No one will speak to me honestly, and if I’m truly to be trapped here I’d like some answers.”

The clock stands silent for half a minute – Yuuri watches the ticking of the hand swing its way around with perfect precision. When Yakov finally does speak, a little of the gruffness gives way into exhaustion.

“There’s only so much we can say about this place. The curse presses upon us. It hasn’t always been like this, but Victor-”

Yakov stops almost unnaturally when a hand ticks over his mouth. His voice struggles before falling silent, the clock’s face twisting to the side in a manner that pulls sympathy from Yuuri’s heart.

How horrible. So there truly was a sort of magic here, a _curse._ What sounded intriguing in books seems far more sinister before his eyes. Had all these servants been cursed then? What about Victor, was his form too only caused by this spell?

Would it come to affect him as well? Yuuri shivers despite the room’s almost overpowering warmth. Thank goodness Phichit was safe.

Yakov remains silent, his eyes peering down upon Yuuri with some sort of judgement. Drawing in a shaky breath, Yuuri suddenly remembers the conversation he’d overheard the night he’d come here.

Carefully, he pricks the silence.

“I heard someone say that - that Victor has to make me to do something? Or that Victor doesn’t have a choice?” Yuuri tries not to ramble, even as his mind conjures terrifying possibilities. Could the Beast plan to use him as some sort of sacrifice to stop the curse?

Or perhaps, Victor is the one who’s carried out the curse, and Yuuri is to be next?!

But Yakov only growls at his words, clock face shaking a dismissal.

“As I’ve said, Victor is a _fool_ who knows nothing-“

“Why Yakov, you never cease to flatter me!”

Yuuri turns on his heel with a gasp, so quickly the room spins. The Beast stands at the open doors, alone and dressed in the finest clothes Yuuri has ever seen, swirling purples and pinks. His blue eyes linger for a moment over him, eyes impassive.

Then, with a raised head, Victor strides forward and gives Yakov a grand, mocking bow.

The clock sputters in place, just as taken aback as Yuuri feels.

“You’d think you’d learn some sense of humility after all this time!“

But the Beast ignores Yakov completely, smile unchanged. Instead, Victor turns towards Yuuri and slides into a far sincerer bow. He attempts to catch Yuuri’s hand within his, claws glimmering in the firelight - but with wide eyes Yuuri yanks it away.

Victor pauses for a moment, hand outstretched and expression lowered. Then, he stands straight into his full height. Staring up at him, Yuuri fights to urge to rush back to his room and call off the entire evening.

Brave, he needs to be brave! A difficult matter, when the Beast shifts just a few inches closer.

“I apologize for being late Yuuri – I hope Yakov hasn’t bored you too greatly.”

Yakov doesn’t respond, having fallen silent once more. Glancing nervously at the clock, Yuuri gently shakes his head.

“No, I don’t mind-“

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Again, Victor steps closer. It’s hard for Yuuri to hold in his gasp, biting his tongue desperately. After a week of near isolation, it’s far too easy to forget how easily the Beast could lash out with claws and teeth.

Really, Yuuri’s flimsy locked door had only been for his peace of mind.

With another lingering glance, Victor sweeps gracefully to the table. Purposefully, he pulls out one of the plush seats facing away from the clock and gestures grandly for him to sit.

Faced with those far-too-eager eyes, Yuuri swallows, steps forward - and pulls out his own seat to sit in. The high back chair, comfortable as it is with red satin cushions, feels just as constraining as a cell. Staring up, Yuuri meets Victor’s expression.

Even now, that odd smile doesn’t waver. The Beast blinks a little though before he takes his seat.

A cart sweeps through the open wooden doors, moves quickly throughout the room, and shudders to a stop just next to the pair. Tearing his eyes away from the Beast’s, Yuuri leans back as a lit candlestick leaps onto the table.

It’s the same one Yuuri had seen before, the one who had been speaking with Victor and Yuuko! Yuuri’s certain, but before he can open his mouth to ask, the candlestick’s flame tilts down in a bow.

“Our dear guest! Though the cold may be growing colder still and the nights ever-shortening, we hope we’ll be able to warm you with the light of good food . . . and lovely company.”

And with a golden smile, the candlestick _winks._

“ _Chris-_ ” The Beast hisses murderously under his breath as Yuuri flushes with embarrassment. Averting his eyes, Yuuri manages to draw in a deep breath even as the candlestick whisks himself away once more.

God, he wasn’t sure if he could do this.

That thought holds clear in Yuuri’s mind all throughout the carts of food and wine. Struggling to push it down, he carefully avoids the alcohol and thanks all the servants who pass with a strained sort of smile.

Everytime he glances at Victor, the Beast is looking at him. _Every time._

What could he _want_ ? Yakov, standing still behind Victor’s head, doesn’t say a word outside of the _tick tock, tick tock . . ._

Drawing in a soft breath, Yuuri gathers his courage as the carts of servants file out of the room.

“I have a few questions.” He begins, cutting into his food despite his lack of appetite.

Instantly, Victor’s eyes glimmer like a sea of stars.

“What a coincidence, so do I! Perhaps we should take turns? You may go first.”

As though his word is law, The Beast leans forward. Any sort of calm Yuuri had managed to cultivate goes out the window and probably burrows into the dead soil for good measure.

 _Oh god, he’s going to kill me._ Yuuri thinks, torn between hysterical laughter and silent fear. He stalls by taking a bite of steak. Maybe when he looks up again, Victor will have lost that terrifyingly excited expression?

It doesn’t work, and finally he sets the silverware down.

“Why exactly did you lock up Phichit?”

Silverware clangs hard against the bottom of the Beast’s plate. Still, Yuuri holds his expression firm. In the ensuing silence, Yakov tolls the hour without a word.

“W-Well, I told you – he stole something from me.” Victor says, eyes wide and innocent. An act.

Eyes narrowing, Yuuri absentmindedly bites at his lip.

“Yes, but-”

Before he can press further, Victor wipes away any strain from his expression and tilts his head. Fur glimmering in the firelight, he smiles.

“My turn. Yuuri, tell me what you enjoy doing in leisure?”

“W-Why?” Yuuri startles a little at the odd question, completely ignoring his food by now. Delicious as it is, it’s hard to keep an appetite.

The Beast raises an eyebrow.

“If you want to ask that, you can after you answer my question.” Victor grins insufferably. Staring, Yuuri’s reminded once more of the dungeon, the Beast’s odd smiles.

No wonder Phichit hates him. Even outside of the imprisonment business, Yuuri finds his anger quickly outweighing his fear.  

Well, if the Beast _does_ wish to kill or curse him, he’s doing an exceedingly poor job of it. That or he’s simply biding his time to lower Yuuri’s guard. Glaring, Yuuri decides to throw him a bone.

“I do enjoy to read. Why would that interest you?”

“Well, I simply would like to know more about my guest.” Victor hums without any real weight behind it.

 _He’s lying._ The little voice in Yuuri’s head that sounds far more like Phichit chimes in. The lingering taste in his mouth turns to ash, his heart sinking nervously.

Yuuri stares as the Beast leans forward. It must be growing darker still outside for the way the fire shines brighter upon the pair, the dark corners of the dining room filling evermore with distant shadows.

“And on that note, _Yuuri_ , won’t you tell me your favorite season?”

“I used to love the end of autumn.” Yuuri bites back without meaning to. The room is too hot, the fire burning past his skin and within his veins. Worst of all, the Beast doesn’t even understand, delicately raising his eyebrows as though he never could have grabbed Phichit and _pulled him away-_

“Victor, what do you mean to gain by this?” Yuuri pushes his barely-eaten food away, hands trembling.

Slowly, the Beast glances from Yuuri’s plate to his face. His eyes lose a little luster, but _still_ he smiles!

“I don’t understand what you mean. Won’t you tell me your favorite color?”

The Beast is _blatantly lying._ A pit of anger roars through Yuuri’s gut, pure frustration filling him. What gives him the right to ask questions of Yuuri, _demand_ them, like he owes him something even as shallow and flimsy as this? Yuuri owes this Beast nothing except the short relief that he didn’t lock him in a dungeon!

“I won’t until you stop lying to me.”

Yuuri feels childish the moment he says it. Like a silly fool, lost and alone with no one coming to save him. Because at this rate, is Phichit even coming for him? Does Phichit even _care?_

Pressing a hand against his mouth, Yuuri stands at that horrible thought. Victor stares up at him like a fish, mouth opening and closing almost comically. He supposes the Beast doesn’t have a flimsy excuse this time, and with a turn Yuuri stalks towards the open doorway.

“T-This was a mistake-”

“Wait!”

Victor rushes forward to stop him, grasping his shoulder. In the firelight the Beast’s expression hinges closer to desperation, tension underlying his eyes. Forced to pause, Yuuri’s anxiety and terror surge and overwhelm him in an instant.

“What do you want from me?”

Victor hesitates, glancing over at Yakov as if to find some help in the silent clock. But now that the words are out of his mouth, Yuuri feels himself falling, falling.

“Y-Yuuri-“

“Please don’t lie to me, I’m not naïve. I know you need me for something! You locked up Phichit in a dungeon for no good reason and now you lock me up in finery - because I’m supposed to be your _guest_?”

It’s hard to breath suddenly. The fire is growing larger in his vision and Yuuri takes a step back away from it, his face hot.

Victor stutters again, eyes wide as his facade is broken for good, but Yuuri can’t even bring himself to be pleased.

“I-If you mean to kill me, just tell me-!“

“No!” And Victor grabs his wrists so quickly his claws sting. Yuuri stares up in terror. He can see the Beast moving his mouth but all he processes are the teeth, a few words.

“Please _listen_ -“

But Yuuri doesn’t. Breathing shallow and shuddery, Yuuri stares up further, higher, at the crown of blue roses.

They seem paler, colder than the winter chill. Staring at them, Yuuri freezes. He’d felt it before in the dungeon but . . . there’s something too beautiful about them. As though they were meant to lure and capture, draw you down into the abyss.

He has always, always loved blue roses, more than anything. But in these, Yuuri feels a sudden swell of vertigo. Someone is screaming somewhere, someone familiar and yet-

_Now your form matches your heart._

“Yuuri!”

Startling, Yuuri gasps and falls back. The dining room is the same, the fire roaring, Yakov _tick tocking_ in the background as a silent observer. He cannot tell if something was pressing on his mind, or if he was pressing on something else, but his head aches at the residual feeling of it.

“Please, I need you to calm down. Are you alright?”

If a Beast can look terrified, then Victor does. Slowly Yuuri stares down where Victor clutches his wrists, blood dripping lightly from his claws.

 God, what is wrong with this place?

“. . . I want to go _home_ ” Yuuri says quietly, desperately. His hands tremble like birds in flight, locked in Victor’s hands. Eyes burning, he readies for the Beast’s denials, the reminders of his captivity and his promise.

Instead, Victor pulls his hands away as if burned. Blue eyes wide with terror, he shakes his head.

“ _Please don’t leave!_ ”

Yuuri . . . stops. All the panic, all the fear and anger sweeps out of him like smoke off a doused fire. Letting out a shaky breath, he slowly looks up to meet Victor’s eyes.

Past the claws and teeth, there’s only terror in them. Nothing cruel or ready to drag him back to his room, or even down towards the dungeon. It’s as though . . .

As though the Beast has never held power over him at all.

Has it really been this simple all along?

Laughing shakily, Yuuri steps back towards the doorway. The Beast does not move to stop him, but his eyes grow wider still.

“I can go home then, can’t I? You won’t keep me against my will?” Yuuri murmurs.

The Beast’s expression crumples.

“No, _please-”_

Yuuri turns and races out of the dining room without a backwards glance. Promise be _damned_ , he refuses to spend another minute more in this castle.


	4. Downy Snow and Hesitant Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited to post this chapter!! There was a point when I was considering cutting this AU into four parts, and this would've been the end of the first part as a major turning point in the story. The thing I love about this story is the sort of complicated interpersonal aspects which are difficult but fun to write. 
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who's given kudos or commented or subscribed! It means a lot to me and I can't thank you enough!

When Yuuri reaches the gates to the castle’s courtyard they sit open, unguarded by Beast or servant. With every rushed step towards them he fights the urge to laugh. and when he pulls Felipe’s reins the horse seems to relax with a relief equal to his own. The moon may not shine as brightly as the week before, when he’d come to this dark place - but the stars twinkle and shine in twirling constellations above, friendly and bright.

And oh, what a fool he had been! Yuuri settles on Felipe’s back as easy as breathing, shivering in the chilled night air. He’d been so hasty to leave he hadn’t gone back to the tower room to grab a coat, or even Phichit’s sketch! Regret pierces through his heart like a knife when he realizes that - but Yuuri can’t imagine returning inside the castle now.

Carefully, Yuuri soothes Felipe, whispers soft words promising home and rest. The warmth of the horse beneath him and the clothes he’d borrowed from the castle will have to be enough.

After all, what if he does return, and the Beast loses that sense of desperation and decides to truly make him a prisoner? Staring up at the waning moon, Yuuri feels distaste bitter in his mouth. It seems unlikely, with the way that Beast had begged. Yet . . .

To think, Victor had never meant to force him to stay. To think, Yuuri had endured the separation from all he had known, when any moment he could have left without a backwards glance!

When Yuuri glances back all the lights of the castle seem cold, distant in his vision. Almost like the blue roses themselves, but nothing like the Beast’s eyes. Still he wonders, almost hesitating.

None of it made any _sense._ If Victor were so willing to lock Phichit in a dungeon, drag him physically away from the castle without hesitation - why did he only resort to begging to try and keep Yuuri? Especially considering he seemed so obviously desperate to keep him here.

Felipe whinnies softly in concern at Yuuri’s hesitation. Hands trembling over the reins, Yuuri startles and struggles to force the thoughts away.

_What does it matter_? He muses with an upturned grin. The snows still haven’t fallen. With any luck, he’ll be back home before dawn. Maybe by then, Yuuri will feel ready and confident enough to demand explanations from Phichit for his lack of a rescue.

That thought lies heavy and low within his gut, but Yuuri refuses to let it settle for long. If his dear friend’s reasons aren’t good enough, Phichit will simply have to wait a little longer for his love confession, now won’t he? He leans up to pat Felipe’s head, breath forming into clouds above him with the cold.

“Let’s go home Felipe.”

When he pulls on the reins, the horse immediately begins to gallop over the cobblestone of the courtyard, out the wide gate, and down the long path away from the castle. For a single moment, Yuuri glances back at the few glistening lights one more time.

_Home. He’s going home!_

Half giddy in his freedom, Yuuri turns his head back towards the forest. How much he’s missed working at Minako’s bookstore, speaking to the other villagers about their days, planning for some distant journey with Phichit! How welcome that little village seems now, compared to his longing for adventure scarcely a week before! With every moment Yuuri leans forward, the trees creeping closer, closer -

And then something snarls, the harsh breaking the cold silence like shattering glass.

For one single, heart-stopping moment, Yuuri fears the Beast has returned in anger to drag him down to the castle’s dungeon. He twists back to the castle with a shuddered gasp – but there is nothing in that direction, nothing besides the wide sweeping grass leading back towards the castle walls.

Under his legs, Felipe falters with a panicked whine.

Cursing, Yuuri yanks hard on the reins, pulling Felipe to stop on instinct as he whips his head back around. Catching sight of what he’d been far too excited to see, Yuuri’s heart drops out of his stomach with a whoosh of night air.

Wolves. At least six or seven if not more ring the edge of the trees. Their slavering mouths are open wide to reveal sharp teeth, saliva drooling onto the dead grass. It’s like something out of a nightmare, and Yuuri feels a pit of terror settle in his heart.

In an instant, one of the wolves howls a sickly call to spur the group on. Yuuri rushes to try and turn Felipe, send him towards some other part of the forest to travel through, _anything_ to get away! The wolves charge and Yuuri presses closer to the reins with a cry.

Thankfully, Felipe manages the turn, hooves clattering against loose stones and leaves. The wolves are right on their heels as Yuuri leads them down the tree line, cursing his luck all the way. What had his mother said to him as a child, Yuuri wonders helplessly? That he’d always had the worst luck? If anyone were to lose a little money, walk into a wall, fall into a lake it would alway be him-

A wolf sprints out of the forest before them and Felipe rears back with such force Yuuri is unable to keep his grip. The moon spins above him as he falls hard against the earth, his glasses falling to the ground beside him.

Yuuri reaches for them desperately, hands trembling as he hears Felipe’s hooves clatter off into the distance. By the time he looks up, glasses shoved hastily back onto his face, Felipe is long past where his gaze can follow.

At least Celestino’s horse might make it home safe.

Yuuri quickly realizes he may not be so lucky.

Maws gaping under the eeries moonlight, the wolves move quickly to surround him. If Yuuri even tries to stand they growl, closing the circle completely. His heart beats like a rabbit in his chest, and Yuuri presses his fingers into the harsh dirt beneath him.

To think, he had escaped the castle of a Beast - only to be eaten by wolves. How ironic! It would never happen in a story, and Yuuri feels a bitter laugh bubble up from underneath all his panic.

“Oh god, please.” He begs helplessly. To the wolves? To some higher power? Yuuri isn’t sure of anything, except that there’s nothing close by on this grass to fight back with, not even a twig.

If the wolves understand, they do not respond except to stalk closer with eager yips. Pressing his eyes closed, Yuuri draws in a deep breath and forces back tears. He’s going to die here then. No one will know, no one will be able to mourn him at his own grave, and he’ll never see his family, or Minako, or _Phichit again._

Yuuri clutches himself, flinching as he hears one of the wolves finally lose its patience. Teeth gnashing, it leaps forward towards him.

A ruthless roar echoes over the grass. In a harsh instant, a force presses him down against the earth.

At first, Yuuri cries out in utter certainty it’s one of the wolves. But the creature above him doesn’t bite at his skin - instead it covers him almost protectively, snarling at the circle surrounding them. The wolves answer back with their own cries - and when Yuuri opens his eyes he realizes _Victor_ is the one crouched over him.

Gasping, Yuuri presses down further against the dirt, taking in the image with wide eyes.

The Beast looks more wild than Yuuri could have ever imagined him, teeth bared and eyes cold blue. One of the wolves lunges to try and reach Yuuri beneath him. Yuuri flinches back, but Victor growls and claws with his hands at the creature until blood falls against the dead grass.

Yuuri clutches the ground between his hands, biting back a scream as the other wolves pounce. They must be attempting to overpower Victor and reach their prey. But the Beast becomes a near animal above him, standing to his full height to claw and bite in return. Their silver forms swirl together, shifting away and – and Yuuri has an opening!

Gasping for breath, Yuuri claws his way to his feet and rushes to the tree line, grabbing the largest tree branch he can find without a second thought. Beast or not, Yuuri has to do _something_ , and his emotions are racing far too quickly to take stock now. Quickly he turns, only to freeze with the branch raised high in the moonlight.

That first wounded wolf, blood trailing from its belly where Victor had scratched at its skin, growls darkly before him. Yuuri doesn’t dare hesitate, swinging the branch with all his force. He can’t help but feel grim relief when it crunches against the wolf’s side, knocking it back.

Unfortunately, the force of the blow also completely ruins his weapon. Dropping it, Yuuri scrambles back when the wolf lunges, nearly nipping his arm in the process.

Falling back against a tree, Yuuri kicks out at the wolf just as Victor yells out.

“Yuuri!”

“Please!” He yells back, curling further back against the tree.

But the Beast does not come and when Yuuri chances a glance up, he stares in shock at what he finds.

The other wolves are gone, blood staining Victor’s fur – though whether any of it is the Beast’s own, Yuuri can’t tell. Yet, the Beast does not pass the tree line.

It isn’t for lack of trying. Yuuri stares in muted horror as Victor presses up against some invisible barrier, his eyes wild with panic and his claws useless against it.

But he has no time to think of it now. The wolf before him snarls, and Yuuri just barely manages to twist around the tree before its teeth clatter against the wood where he’d been standing.

“Yuuri, I need you come here!” Victor yells desperately, faltering against the barrier. Breathing edging closer to hyperventilation, Yuuri rushes away just as the wolf attempts to nip at his legs. He runs, runs faster at the sound of snarls behind him.

For a moment, Yuuri fears that barrier will affect him too. If he’ll die at this wolf’s teeth, Victor watching helplessly just inches away. But thankfully, he passes through effortlessly. In an instant Victor clutches him close and pulls him away from the trees, twisting and roaring until the final wolf rushes away.

They’re safe. They’re really and truly _safe_.

The moon above is calm and tranquil – and gazing up at it, Yuuri feels his hands begin to shake.

The moment the last wolf leaves, all of Victor’s strength seems to leave him. Yuuri easily slips out of his grip now, staggering to his feet and staring down. Blood stains his hands and clothes from where he’d been pressed against Victor. When Yuuri gently touches his face, he finds it there too.

Oh _god_.

Yuuri turns back, just as the Beast collapses against the ground. Victor doesn’t even look at him now. His eyes are distant as he stares off to the castle – defeated. Despaired.

Yuuri remembers that invisible barrier. Nausea swells into his throat, mixing with the residual terror.

Was Victor just as much a prisoner as he thought he’d been? Was this part of that curse Yakov had told him of, to punish them all for some wrong? If Victor and the servants were trapped, and if Yuuri and Phichit had only been some of the very few to stumble upon the castle - what kind of lonely existence was that like?

No wonder the Beast had been so desperate.

There were so many gaps and holes in this story though. Yuuri can not begin to understand them – and when he glances back to the trees realization strikes deep into his gut.

He can go home without worry, if he wishes. Yuuri could leave on foot, and Victor would never be able to follow. He would be free, to see his family and Minako and Phichit once more! Free to never return to this dreadful place!

Yuuri considers it, his hands worrying into his shirt. Blood stains his fingers, drying on his face. Slowly, he turns back to the castle. To the Beast.

Victor does not look at him. There’s no way Yuuri can see the extent of his wounds from here, not without cleaning them. But they must be serious, for the way he doesn’t move.

Or perhaps, the wounds are far deeper, unseen.

Yuuri’s hands still. A pang rises in his throat, and he’s unable to ignore it.

He had thought he was going to die out here, in this forest. But he’s alive and well, not even horribly wounded - because Victor, of all people, had saved him.

Already, Yuuri can hear Phichit’s voice in his head, calling him a sentimental fool. With a soft sigh, he lets it.

When Yuuri steps across the grass and leans down, Victor finally blinks up at him in confusion. Breathing gently, Yuuri lays a hand on his shoulder.

“Can you walk?” He asks, meeting his eyes.

Victor nods hesitantly. His blue eyes are piercing, and Yuuri finds himself glancing at the matching roses upon his brow. This time they do not warp underneath his gaze.

Just as Victor begins to stand, hesitant and limping, a burst of cold flutters over Yuuri’s bare hands. Snowflakes melt into his skin. Steeling his spine, Yuuri slips underneath Victor’s arm to support his weak leg.

And as the first snow of the season begins to fall, the pair make their haltering way back towards the castle.

\--

The snow around them is like fallen starlight, painting the scene with a beauty it does not deserve. All of the forest and castle surrounding seem devoid of color in the dim light – yet the blood shines despite it all.

It drips onto the snow, leaving a trail behind their steps. It stains Victor’s clothes, seeping through completely.

“Almost there – we’re almost there.” Yuuri murmurs gently as they press up the last step of the castle together. With every step Victor’s leg aches in agony. He leans heavily upon Yuuri, struggling to stay upright.

It had been a long journey back to the castle. Still Yuuri supports him, had supported him the entire way.

How strange.

Victor peeks down at the odd commoner. Yuuri is shaking with the exertion, his dark hair damp from the snow and his glasses sliding down his nose. Blood stains him as well, _Victor’s_ blood, down the side of his cheek and the front of his plain shirt.

He still isn’t quite sure what to think of him. Since Yuuri had arrived at the castle he’d been a walking paradox - fierce yet terrified, sarcastic yet near silent. Victor almost wonders if it would have been better if the commoner had managed to leave after their disastrous dinner, let him try to break the curse with some nebulous other.  

In all honesty, Victor had _expected_ him to leave. Why stay and help the Beast? What _for_?

Still, Yuuri remains. Still, Victor himself remains, torn between hope and terror.

The front door to the castle falls open when they press against it together. With a creak, it leans too far for Victor’s leg and he cries out in surprise they fall to the harsh stone of the entryway. just barely has the mind to press the back of his hand behind the commoner’s head - to keep him from hitting the floor or his claws.

The door falls shut behind them with a final thud, cutting off the harsh winter cold. Gasping, Yuuri sits up and turns, meeting Victor’s eyes with a shiver.

“Master! Are you alright?!” Chris’ voice echoes off the entryway walls in shock, the candlestick hopping down the stairwell in a rush. Other servants linger at the top of the staircase, vanities and bookshelves and plates hovering. All looking to Victor.

But before Victor can speak, Yuuri stands to meet Chris. The commoner wrings his hands together but his voice is calm and clear.

“Could you get some supplies please? We’ll need water, bandages, softer linens, alcohol - or whatever healing salves you have.”

An impassive look passes over Chris’ face. But it doesn’t last long, the candlestick glancing over at Victor with obvious worry.

“Of course, right away!”

Victor watches, pressing up on his claws as Yuuri smiles weakly at the candlestick.

“Thank you.”

Already, Chris begins calling up the stairs, passing along the instructions. Servants scurry to and fro on the upper landing, gathering supplies. Managing to sit up, Victor presses his back against the wall of the entryway with a groan.

The Beast freezes as Yuuri kneels before him. The commoner places a hand on his shoulder without fear, expression concerned - and the touch bursts against Victor’s skin like a blaze. Something open and aching wells up in his heart.

“Where does it hurt? You need to tell me.” Yuuri glares when Victor doesn’t speak, and with a rush the Beast realizes he’d begun to growl like an animal at the pain. Averting his eyes from that piercing gaze, he does as told.

“My leg.” He bites back, unable to keep the harshness from his voice. Unimpressed, Yuuri wipes the blood from his face with his sleeve.

Yet, _he doesn’t leave._ Victor watches wordlessly as Yuuri takes supplies from anxious servants, sending them gentle smiles in return. Chris hovers close by as Yuuri presses the torn fabric aside and begins cleaning his wound with alcohol and water.

Victor can’t help but stare, watching as the commoner washes away the blood, his head lowered and hands careful. Eyes darting, he catches Chris’ gaze only for the candlestick to smile as though they’ve won some battle.

Which, they haven’t, not really. It doesn’t make sense! Victor doesn’t deserve this, not after everything he’s done! With the bite of the alcohol on his wound, Victor is unable to keep quiet.

“Why are you doing this?” He demands, leaning up. Chris levels him a fierce glare but Victor ignores it – he’s ruined his chances already with that disastrous dinner, one question won’t hurt him more!

Midway through rubbing away the blood from his fur, Yuuri glances up in surprise. His touch slows, soft. It _burns_ , just like the rose crown above Victor’s head.

That damned thief’s touch had burned too, grasping fingers and kicks, too much after years and years of nothing. Isn’t that pathetic?

“Do you want an infection?” Yuuri asks with bite equal to his own, before pressing back to his work.

It _hurts_ and Victor pouts, knowing exactly the expression that always gave him extra treats as a child. It must look ridiculous now, for the way Yuuri only raises an eyebrow.

“ . . . You were never going to hurt me, were you?” The commoner laughs, not really asking as he reaches for the bandages. Chris passes them along, oddly silent in the face of this conversation. Heart clenching in his chest, Victor shakes his head and tightens his fists until claws scrape fur.

“I am not _that_ uncivilized, not like those wolves.” Victor mutters to himself. Snorting under his breath without any decorum, Yuuri’s hands work quickly to press a salve into the wound before covering it was clean bandages.

“I _see_.” A slight smile pricks at Yuuri’s mouth. Annoyed, Victor meets his gaze but finds whatever retort on his lips lost in surprise.

He’d thought Yuuri unharmed - but the blood he’d let must have been hiding a scratch across his cheek. Swallowing roughly, Victor struggles at the sudden surge of guilt he feels.

“What is it?” Yuuri blinks at the look on his face, hands pulling away as he finishes his work. Chris must see it as well, for the candlestick hops up quickly.

“You seem to have been injured a little - just a scratch on the cheek! Nothing serious!” Chris adds quickly at the look of worry on Yuuri’s face. He reaches up quickly and finds the fresh blood - yet he still doesn’t relax.

His eyes wide behind his spectacles, Yuuri looks almost like an owl.

“Oh . . . oh. This won’t be too hard to clean. Nothing like . . .” Yuuri glances at the blood on his hands, then at Victor’s bandaged leg as though he’s seeing it for the first time. Victor jolts in a panic when Yuuri suddenly trembles, gaze distant and terrified.

“Yuuri?” Victor leans forward hesitantly, only to startle when the commoner turns to him.

“God, we almost _died_!” Yuuri gasps, clutching at his chest. In a panic, Victor turns to Chris, but the candlestick only gestures him to _do something_.

But what?!

“I never would have gotten to say goodbye, to have seen them all again! My family, Minako, _Phichit-“_ And at that thief’s name, Yuuri’s eyes well up with tears.

_Oh no, oh no, oh no-_ Jolting up, Victor waves his clawed hands before the commoner’s face in a panic. No, no he’s horrible at this!

“But you didn’t die! We didn’t die, we’re perfectly healthy and safe! And I promise, nothing like that will ever happen again!”

Trembling, Yuuri blinks and stares up at him in surprise. As if realizing where he is, who _Victor_ is, he presses his lips together and stares down once more.

For a long moment, they remain in silence. Victor staring out and Yuuri staring down, and neither speaking a word. Chris hovers a bit farther away, watching the two carefully but seeming completely uninterested in intervening.

Despite Victor’s foolish outburst, Yuuri’s fingers are gentle as they press against the bandage once more, checking the tightness of the fabric.

Then, they still.

“Victor, can I ask you something?” Yuuri says, glancing up. Traces of dried blood remain on his cheek, the cut still open. Victor fights the urge to change the subject before it’s begun, point out their presence.

“What is it?” He says instead. The dark entryway seems distant, quiet. Servants must be watching from above, but Victor allows himself to ignore them, even to ignore Chris.

Yuuri takes his time, folding the stained linens and pressing the last clean one against his cheek. His eyes are a brilliant amber when they meet Victor’s.

“ . . . You can’t leave the castle grounds, can you?”

Everything this commoner does is a constant surprise. Holding in a gasp, Victor manages to nod. But already he can feel the layers of _curse_ holding his tongue, keeping him from saying more.

Humming in acknowledgement, Yuuri tilts his head.

“And if I try to leave, you won’t keep me here against my will?”

The roses on his head burn and burn. Victor shakes his head and waits for the inevitable. Another return to isolation, another end to whatever desperate hope he may have had.

Flames flickering, Chris hops forward with a slight bow. Yuuri turns to him with a blink, and the servant glances at Victor before lowering his voice.

“If you do plan to leave - The cart your friend took to leave was our only one, and it has not returned since. We wouldn’t be able to help you.”

Clearing his throat, Yuuri nods. The entryway is silent, still except for the moonlight and the sound of falling snow just on the other side of the door.

Yuuri turns his gaze away from Chris, up to the higher landing where the other servants are. Biting his lip, the commoner finally turns his eyes back to Victor. In the dim light, the commoner sighs.

“I know there must only be so much any of you can say, like in all the stories. I’ll accept that. And I won’t – I’m not going to stay forever. You can’t make me promise that.”

Victor’s tongue feels heavy in his mouth, confused. What could Yuuri mean? He nods his agreement knowing well his demanded promise had only been a desperate plea, something he wouldn’t dare try again. Steeling his shoulders, Yuuri continues.

“Felipe is gone. The snows have begun to fall outside. There’s no way I could travel safely home until the weather warms without that cart, especially with those wolves. So – So until winter ends, I will agree to stay here.”

Hope bursts in his heart, like sunshine and spring, like everything he’s ever lost. Instantly, Victor tries to ignore it, push it away, but it’s . . . difficult. He must not be able to hide his excitement, for the way the commoner’s expression shifts.

“But – But I’m not going to be your prisoner! I’m not going to be treated as an object or thing either. I’ll leave if you do, snows or not.”

Already, Victor’s mind is churning, too quickly to pin down. He can hear the servants murmuring, see Chris glancing up towards them. He still has a chance! Nodding eagerly, he meets Yuuri’s gaze with a beaming smile.

“Of course, then what would you like me to be to you, for you? Whatever you wish, however you want me to be!”

Yuuri blinks in surprise, hands still upon his knees and Victor hesitates. With an inward curse, he wonders if he’s already ruined everything once more. Yet before he can rush to apologize, Yuuri speaks.

“Would you please just be yourself?”

Victor’s mind comes to a screeching halt. In the darkness, Yuuri stares at him with wide amber eyes. He’s a mess, his hair unbrushed, his clothes plain and yet his voice soaks into Victor’s mind like water to a sponge.

The Beast can’t think of how to respond. Biting his lip, Yuuri glances away.

“If I am to stay for a time, in such an isolated place – please only ever be yourself. I couldn’t stand it if you played a role, like you’ve already done. And - And in return I will always try to be myself just as well.” He says, eyes far away but words honest and true.

Victor has been speechless more times in a single night than he has in all the nights before his curse. To be _himself?_ What does that even mean? When he looks over at Chris, his friend smiles cryptically at him.

Yuuri provides him no more answers, and Victor will not ask them of him. Carefully, the commoner puts all the supplies to rights, standing and holding them close to his chest. When he rattles off carefully remembered instructions to Victor on changing his bandages and keeping his wound clean, Victor nods and pretends not to see the way Yuuri glances back when he stands to his full height.

Not . . . not nervously, like before. Just curiously.

Were all commoners like this? But no, they couldn’t be – Victor had never met anyone like this.

“Victor?”

Yuuri pauses at the bottom of the stairs now, one foot heading up back towards his bedroom. Victor isn’t even sure he can find it on his own. He would offer to help, but there’s a finality to the tone in Yuuri’s voice, something firm that Victor isn’t ready to cross.

“Yes?” He says, feeling out on strange waters.

“ . . . Thank you for saving my life.”

Yuuri bows deeply. Victor’s heart skips a beat. And then, without another glance, Yuuri rushes up the stairs and into the darkness above. The entryway is quiet, still once more.

Slowly, Victor turns. Blood still stains the stone floor. Someone will have to clean that up eventually, won’t they? Though the servants above don’t seem quite ready to, for the way they whisper.

Deep in his heart, something is stirring. Victor can’t put a name to it yet, as though trying to might simply lessen that feeling. He thinks of Yuuri’s soft voice, his soft touch and, very cautiously, allows himself to hope.

Until winter ends? That might be time enough.

\--

When Phichit was only a child, years and years ago, his family had crossed an ocean to find a new home.

Back then, there had only been three Chulanont children instead of five - but Phichit was still the oldest, still the one upon whom responsibilities fell. Phichit remembers spending his 7th birthday under the deck of a grand ship watching his younger siblings. But even more so, he remembers staring out at that wide expanse of ocean. Like nothing he’d ever seen before, it had changed his perspective of the world completely.

Nothing he did could capture that expanse of sea and sky. Even now, Phichit sometimes tries to paint it out once more, try and find those distant moments in his mind. Nothing could quite manage to hold the same feeling.

The river in Lausau, frozen over and completely new, had been nothing like the ocean to Phichit’s childish eyes. Except, he muses every now and then, it had been where he’d met Yuuri.

The older boy had hidden behind his sister as they’d approached the icy river, skates in hand. Phichit himself had fallen over at least five times by then, laughing delightedly as his parents did little better.

And then Yuuri, just barely twelve, had skated very carefully across the ice and offered his hands.

“Help?” He’d asked, the language barrier still wide between them. For a year after that they had communicated in a mix of all their languages, finally settling into the Kingdom’s tongue with only slight hesitation as they’d gotten older.  

That day so long ago, Phichit had felt his heart lighten skidding across the ice. Hand in hand with Yuuri, their friendship just barely beginning, he’d never imagined the great depth of feeling he’d gain for that dark-haired boy.

And when he did realize? After years of ice skating and shared meals, whispered conversations and ragged books? It was like falling on the ice once more, hoping desperately that Yuuri might help him up once more.

Phichit thinks he might feel that shift in his heart again, that of a change in perspective, when the snows begin to fall late one night. With them, he’s no longer able to deny it - winter is here. And his options are increasingly growing grim with the darkening skies.

Each day, Phichit goes about his usual odd jobs and one off painting commissions, desperately avoiding the pointed questions of the villagers. It’s almost too easy to disarm them with his brilliant smile and shrug of a shoulders.

_That morning? Sorry, I was just tired and had a horrible dream! Oh Yuuri? He’s fine, he’s just away visiting family!_

No one sees past his facade - and Phichit isn’t sure if that makes him feel better or worse.

Over and over Phichit repeats his excuses. Each time his smile grows dimmer, his hands fidgeting with whatever work he’s been given. He’s far too distracted to think of something to invent, or even to sketch a landscape on his own time. But, at least he has work to keep him busy! The Leroys want their shed’s roof fixed, Little Camille’s family wants another family portrait made, Celestino’s still asking about his horse, and Minako -

“Have you found anything?” She asks with almost flippant calm whenever he stops by her little shop. In between the bustling of the marketplace, the anticipation of the snows, no one else hears. Just in case though, Phichit plasters a beaming grin upon his face.

“Not yet, but soon!”

Minako always raises a prim eyebrow. She never says another word after that, but well . . . Phichit can imagine well what she’s thinking.

In the evenings when all is quiet, Phichit takes to spending his hours out in the forest. Perhaps, the castle moves its location every night? Perhaps, it only comes out when the moon is at its highest point in the sky? So many unknown variables! It would be fascinating if it weren’t heartbreaking.

Every night, Phichit returns alone to their empty cabin. Every night, he stares at the fire and thinks of the Beast’s words. _Will you promise to stay here forever?_ That thing had asked Yuuri, so eager.

_Forever implies something, doesn’t it?_ Phichit tells himself. _Forever means that he must be alive._

The alternative is unimaginable. Carefully, Phichit traces over old drawings of maps until all hours of the morning. He does not glance up when the floorboards creak, or shiver despite the chill.

The only thing that brings him any sort of comfort is slipping away into Yuuri’s room, to the corner table there next to the window. There he straightens the little framed painting of Vicchan, changes out the water and sits for a moment.

“I’m sorry Yuuri isn’t here Vicchan.” Phichit murmurs, unable to quite meet the painted portrait’s eyes. The little ribbon they’d tied around Vicchan’s neck swings lightly from the frame, but Phichit doesn’t move to still it.

“ . . . Please, make sure he’s alright.”

Vicchan’s portrait doesn’t respond, but Phichit hopes he listens.

The snows fall and fall, and still Phichit doesn’t stop looking. When Minako sees his soaking wet clothes during the day, she shakes her head with a sigh and lowers her voice in the bustling marketplace.

“You can’t get yourself hurt or sick looking for him.” She says - but Phichit pretends not to hear her. Because, who else will believe him? Who else will _look_ ? He feels like nothing more than a fool as he keeps trying, but what else is he to _do_?

Once he finds Yuuri, none of this will matter anyways. It’s simply a matter of time!

Phichit has been running on that feverish emotion for almost ten days, when Celestino stops him in the village square. The snows had fallen particularly hard the night before, as if to truly hammer in the new and cruel season. Soigneux’s marketplace is almost deserted in the face of that weather.

Thus, there’s no one around for Phichit to duck behind and slip away from Celestino’s piercing stare. Ready to make his excuses, Phichit smiles brightly and tries to avoid slipping in the ice beneath his feet.

“Celestino! I’m so sorry, I still haven’t heard from Yuuri about your horse-” Gods, he really does hope that horse was alright as well. The poor thing doesn’t deserve any harm.

The farmer pauses with a frown, catching Phichit by the shoulder to steady him over the ice. Swallowing roughly, Phichit avoids his eyes and hopes Celestino can’t tell how he’s lying through his teeth, however much he hates to do so.

“Well, he may write you soon? Felipe came back last night, a little wet from the cold but otherwise fine! He must’ve gotten away from Yuuri-”

At first Phichit doesn’t process the words - after little sleep and increasingly sharp emotions, all he can think is: _Could Yuuri write me from that castle?_ Silly, foolish, he almost laughs with a harsh reminder-

And then, he realizes. Soigneux’s cold turns icy in his veins.

“Felipe came back? By himself?” Phichit stares up in shock, unable to hide the emotion in his voice. Faltering, Celestino manages a slight nod.

“He still had his saddle on, but yes? Though . . . perhaps you should write Yuuri’s family and make sure he’s safe? I wasn’t worried at first because he seemed well kept but - are you alright Phichit?”

But Phichit isn’t listening anymore, not really. He feels like he’s fallen on the ice again with no one to help him up, no one at all-

“Phichit? Are you alright?!”

_What does this mean?_ How could Felipe return without Yuuri? Did the Beast set Felipe free, did Yuuri try to escape and fail?! Was he-

_Don’t think it._ Phichit bites his lip and steels himself to try and keep from fainting dead away. With a shock, he realizes he’s close to it, his vision in spots. Celestino grasps his shoulder again, and it’s too late to make excuses, far too late-

And then, in an instant, Minako cuts across the near-empty square and grasps his hand. Her expression is tormentous, barely acceptable as she nods and makes excuses Phichit can’t to Celestino. And then she whisks him away towards her bookstore without another word.

A few passerby lower their head in whispers. Most likely, the news will be all around Soigneux by midday - Phichit Chulanont making a scene once again.

Gritting his teeth, Phichit pushes those thoughts out of his mind.

“Minako-” He hisses as he’s pulled inside her bookstore. She closes the door firmly behind them and locks it with such force Phichit gapes. Without the candles lit, her shop’s shelves seem to loom over them both like trees. Or tombstones.

Minako spins, turning to him with fire in her eyes. It’s worse than the stare Phichit’s mother would give him as a child, when he came up with such mischievous plans even Yuuri’s doe eyes couldn’t get them out of trouble.

“We can’t do this anymore Phichit - I can’t keep covering for you! We have to tell the village something’s happened to Yuuri, at the very _least_ tell his family.”

Jolting back, Phichit presses against the door and feels helpless emotion spur him on, something angry and aching. That would be the logical thing, he knows. But long hours and the raw feeling in his chest ache at the thought.

“I’m going to find him-” He begins desperately, but already Minako is shaking her head, arms crossed.

“It’s been _days!_ The snows have started, you’re running yourself ragged chasing visions - Have you even _slept_ lately?”

Faltering, Phichit stares as Minako grabs him by the shoulders.

“What good are you going to be to Yuuri, wearing yourself out like this? How can you help him if you don’t take care of yourself?”

Phichit can’t think of an answer. In all her righteous anger, he realizes the tension underlying Minako’s frame, the _fear._ He’s been avoiding her out of shame - but how much is this wearing on her as well, this facade? How much longer can either of them go on like this?

Guilt fills Phichit, the skin on the back of his neck prickling. God and Yuuri’s family doesn’t even have an idea, how could he continue doing that to them? It’s scarcely been a week and a half, and already Phichit feels like fabric unraveling. And that isn’t fair to anyone, not himself, not Yuuri’s family, and certainly not to Minako.

What would Yuuri say, seeing him now? The shame in his heart grows larger, and with a sigh he finally bows his head.

“I- You’re right.”

Nodding curtly, Minako loosens her grip.

The dark bookshelves surrounding them are almost comforting now in the way they loom. Without that filter over his eyes they remind Phichit of home, of endless days spent between them catching Yuuri’s eye while searching for new books from the Capitol.

That gentle image, more than anything, is what makes Phichit’s emotions settle into something bearable, realistic. With a laugh, he realizes he’s been acting more like Yuuri than himself, taking on the hurried anxiety and wild thoughts he was so used to calming in his friend.

Slowly, he draws in a breath.

“I should . . . I should go to Lausau, to the inn. I’ll ask the Katsuki’s if they’ve seen him, and tell them the truth if they haven’t.” It was the least Phichit could do for them. Even if he wouldn’t be able to search for Yuuri as much as he’d like, well . . . There really couldn’t be a right answer.

But he couldn’t go forward in denial any longer.

Minako’s grip loosens with a sense of relief. Letting out a soft breath, she pulls away with a nod.

“Good, good. You’ll need to be careful with these snows, especially by the time you return. For all we know, Yuuri really is down there and Felipe just got away from him.”

It doesn’t sound very encouraging, with the worry hanging behind Minako’s eyes. Phichit presses his lips together and glances away.

“If he isn’t, I’ll have to keep searching-”

“Phichit, I know you love him, but you _cannot_ try to bear this weight alone, or keep it hidden. Not this time.”

Heart jolting in his chest, Phichit struggles to respond. Tears building in his eyes, he nods.

“Yes. But you can’t stop me from looking for him, you _can’t_ , this is _my fault-”_

And then Minako crushes him into a hug. Startled, Phichit hugs back and struggles not to sob. God, if he can’t even hold it together in front of _Minako_ , how will he in front of Yuuri’s family? Or even his own, considering he might have to stay with them depending on how the Katsuki’s react-

Yuuri’s family wouldn’t do that to him, Phichit knows. But they’d have the right to.

And then, Minako sighs.

“Whatever happened is no one’s fault.” She says. “I don’t know if I believe your story about a Beast but - if true, then everything is its’ fault I suppose.” Minako laughs through her own tears. Pulling away, Phichit manages a bitter smile.

“If you say so.”

\--

Yuuri can’t think to remember how he makes it back to that tower room. Somehow, he finds his way through the castle, half dazed and still half starved.

He’d barely eaten anything of that aborted disaster of a dinner after all. Yuuri can’t help his laugh at that thought. How quickly things change in a few hours! And how much he’d regained. A winter instead of forever.

A cursed Beast instead, perhaps, of a monstrous one.

It’s not a great deal of comfort, but Yuuri holds onto it with every step he takes. There’s so much he needs to consider in the morning, questions he needs to ask. Already he’d attempted to ask a passing servant in the hall for parchment to send a letter home, only to be told that there was no way to deliver it.

The fact that he can’t even send a message to Minako or Phichit weighs heavy in Yuuri’s heart. They’re going to murder him by the time he returns - Minako won’t let him rest again.

But for now, Yuuri remains cut off from the rest of the world.

How had the Beast survived this isolation, and for how long? Yuuri can’t help but wonder as he steps through the halls, struggling to keep the blood from his cheek from dripping so grotesquely. As he passes one long window, he pauses and glances out over the long grass of the castle’s lawn.

Silent and still. No sign at all of a hidden barrier.

Was that what had kept this castle hidden from the kingdom for who knew how long? Yuuri’s heart had grown heavier each day Phichit hadn’t come back to find him, grown even a little bitter despite itself. Now, he can’t help but sigh as he considers the alternative.

With all the magic of this place, Yuuri had been lucky to find this place – and Phichit – when he had. Otherwise, their positions might have been traded.  

Carefully, Yuuri steps up the last few steps to his tower room. He winces as he opens the gilded doorknob with blood stained hands. His face is certainly stained too –

Which, really, gives him an excuse to be so frightened at the sight of his reflection from the other side of the room.

Yelling like he’s seen another wolf, Yuuri startles back only to jump in the air at the high-pitched scream that resounds in reply.

“You’re still here?!” Isabella the hairbrush (Yuuri had nearly forgotten, having basically kicked the furniture out of his room a week ago) yelps from on top of the vanity. Her vanity husband.

Cursed husband. Cursed _servants_ , and Yuuri suddenly remembers Yakov’s words and bitter feeling. Realization fills him with sudden regret as the door falls shut behind him, as his heart pounds in his chest.

These object who could move and talk – they must have been human once. Victims of the curse as well.

“God, what the hell happened to you? You look like a horror illustration!” JJ says a bit tactlessly, but not unkindly.

“ _JJ-_ “ Isabella hisses, handle smacking lightly against the top of the vanity’s desk.

“Yes, I- Yes.” Yuuri snorts despite himself, pressing a hand against his mouth in embarrassment. And then he groans because he’s still got so much _blood_ on him-

“We can leave again, if you’d prefer the privacy. We didn’t realize you were still here.” Isabella continues diplomatically, nudging JJ to shuffle a bit closer to the door.

It’s kind of her. Except, Yuuri can’t imagine being alone in his room tonight. He knows he’ll hear wolves in his ears.

Tomorrow, Yuuri might let himself panic more at all this. At how he has no way to let anyone know he’s alive, that as much as he’s grateful to Victor for saving his life there’s no sure guarantee the Beast will act any better for their remaining time.

Should he feel guilty for this? Yuuri doesn’t know. But Felipe is gone, hopefully safe and free. By the time spring comes, Yuuri will be the same.

Maybe then, he can apologize to Phichit. But for now, Yuuri shakes his head and manages a smile.

“No please stay - I’m sorry, can you both help me clean up please?”


End file.
